Patent ID: 9745489
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: B29C,C03C,C07H,C08F,C08L,C09D,E04B,F16L,H05K,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method of making a thermal or acoustical insulation product, wherein the thermal or acoustical insulation product comprises mineral fibers, said mineral fibers being present in the insulation product in the range from about 80% to about 99% by weight, wherein the method comprises: providing a collection of mineral fibers; spraying an uncured aqueous binder solution onto the collection of mineral fibers during production of the insulation product, the aqueous binder solution comprising: (i) monomeric polycarboxylic acid ammonium salt(s) consisting of polycarboxylate ions and (ii) reducing sugar(s), and iii) optionally, ammonia, wherein the percent by dry weight of the reducing sugar(s) with respect to the total weight of monomeric polycarboxylic acid ammonium salt(s) and reducing sugar(s) in the aqueous binder solution ranges from about 70% to about 90%, and wherein the percent by dry weight of the monomeric polycarboxylic acid ammonium salt(s) with respect to the total weight of monomeric polycarboxylic acid ammonium salt(s) and reducing sugar(s) in the aqueous binder solution ranges from about 10% to about 30%; transferring the binder coated collection of mineral fibers to and through a curing oven; heating the binder coated collection of mineral fibers in the curing oven and curing the binder so as to produce the thermal or acoustical insulation product, wherein the cured binder is a formaldehyde-free, water-resistant, thermoset binder comprising nitrogen-containing polymers that attach the mineral fibers together.