Patent EA-004191-B1 (EA)
Title: Heat/sound insulation product based on mineral wool
Inventor: BEAUFILS SEBASTIEN
IPC: C03C25/24
Filed: 2001-07-12
Abstract: 1. A heat and/or sound insulation product based on mineral wool such as glass wool or rock wool or basalt having an additional coating, characterized in that said product has at least part of its outer surface uncoated and that at least a portion of said outer surface is treated with a composition having softening properties comprising at least a surfactant. 2. The insulation product according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the product is treated with a composition having softening properties, its thickness not exceeding 10 mm, in particular, not exceeding 5 mm. 3. The insulation product according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that concentration of said composition having softening properties is, at least, 0.1 g/m<2>, in particular, not exceeding 5 g/m<2>. 4. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said composition having softening properties comprises, at least, one cationic surfactant, being, at least, one charge, the charge is clearly positive or delocalized. 5. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said composition having softening properties comprises, at least, one surfactant/ softening agent not ionic substance, in particular, belonging to the family of fat esters, glycerol derivatives, such as glycerol monostearic acid, paraffinic emulsions, associated, if necessary, with emulsion of mineral oil. 6. The insulation product according to claim 1, characterized in that the cationic active surfactant comprises one or a plurality of fat acids chains or one fat acid derivative and, at least, one nitrogen-containing group, capable to carry clearly positive charge or delocalized, and preferably selected from quaternary ammonium salts, imadazoline salts and amine oxide derivatives, amidoamine acetates. 7. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said product is made in the form of a felted panel, close to parallelepiped in shape, having two main sides, free of an additional coating, wherein, at least one of said sides is treated with a composition having softening properties, or with one main side free of an additional coating and treated with a composition having softening properties, and the other main side comprising an additional coating. 8. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said product is made in the form of covering, barrel stave or segment. 9. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said product has density not exceeding 40 kg/m<3>, or exceeds 40 kg/m<3> up to 160 kg/m<3>. 10. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said product is made of mineral wool provided inside with sizing composition preferably with lesser sizing composition in the upper product surface, corresponding to, at least, outer surface part thereof, free of the additional coating, and corresponding, in particular to the zone treated with the composition having softening properties. 11. The insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said mineral wood has in the surface zone, corresponding to at least its outer part free of an additional coating and corresponding, in particular, to the zone treated with according any one of to claims 1 to 6, different fibers dimensions having enlarged length and/or reduced diameter or micron dimension, than in the rest of the product thickness. 12. A method for manufacturing an insulation product according any one of to claims 1 to 11 using internal centrifugation, characterized in that the surface of said product is treated with a composition having softening properties in a production line of mineral wool. 13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the insulation product is treated with a composition having softening properties before a fiber feeding unit, and preferably prior to thermal treatment devices used if necessary or providing required thermal conditions using a drying oven or the like. 14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that the insulation product is treated with a composition having softening properties in a liquid phase, in particular, mainly in aqueous phase by spraying, plastering or dipping. 15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the concentration of the composition having softening properties in a liquid phase ranges from 0.5% to 10% by weight, in particular from 2.5% to 5% by weight relative to said liquid phase. 16. The method according any one of to claims 12 to 15, characterized in that said insulation product is treated being in the form of a continuous felt web moving on a transport means like a conveyor belt using at least one spraying ramp arranged above and/or beneath the transportation product plane and substantially perpendicular to axis of the product movement. 17. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that said insulation product is treated by said composition having softening properties on a production line which comprises a plurality of devices of fiber forming arranged sequentially spraying said composition having softening properties on fiber in liquid phase, preferably in aqueous phase, the fiber is supplied from the first and/or the last device of fiber forming, but before receiving said fiber on an intake device, corresponding to said device of fiber forming, preferably before, during and after depositing, if necessary, a composition for sizing said fiber. 18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that said composition having softening properties is sprayed on said fiber through a spraying ring using a sizing compound or through an additional spraying ring. 19. The method according any one of to claims 12 to 18, characterized in that the production line comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged devices for fiber forming, wherein each of said devices comprises: a centrifuge, rotatable around a certain axis, in particular around vertical axis, and a peripheral band comprising a plurality of orifices; a gas drawing means at a high temperature in the form of annular burner; a pneumatic means for adjusting their dimensions in the form of a blowing ring, gas pressure blown through the first and/or through last device of fiber forming is less than the gas pressure in the blowing rings of other devices of fiber blowing by at least 20%, and preferably by from 30 to 50% such that said insulation product comprises longer fibers on at least its surface layer or at least on part of its surface layer free from an additional coating. 20. The method according any one of to claims 12 to 19, characterized in that the production line comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged devices for fiber forming, wherein each of said devices comprises: a centrifuge, rotatable around a certain axis, in particular around vertical axis, and a peripheral band comprising a plurality of orifices; a gas drawing means at a high temperature in the form of annular burner; a pneumatic means for adjusting their dimensions in the form of a blowing ring, gas pressure blown through the first and/or through last device of fiber forming is less than the gas pressure in the blowing rings of other devices of fiber blowing by at least 10-25%, and/or a number of orifices in the first and/or in the last centrifuge exceeds a number of orifices in other centrifuges by at least 15-25% such that said insulation product comprises shorter fibers or micron dimensions on at least its surface layer or at least on part of its surface layer free from an additional coating. 21. The method according any one of to claims 12 to 20, characterized in that the production line comprises a plurality of sequentially arranged devices for fiber forming where said sizing compound is applied on fiber before they reach a corresponding intake device and that lesser amount of said sizing compound coming from the first and/or the last device of fiber forming by at least 10 or 20% such that that said insulation product comprises less sizing compound on at least its surface layer or at least on part of its surface layer free from an additional coating. 22. The method according any one of to claims 12 to 21, characterized in that that said composition having softening properties used for treating said product is in the form of liquid, paste or gel, preferably miscible or dispersable in an aqueous phase, or in the form of solid substance preferably soluble in an aqueous phase. 23. An installation for manufacturing an isolation product according any one of to claims 1 to 11, or for realizing the method according any one of to claims 12 to 22, comprising an operation line for mineral wool production by an internal centrifugation, wherein said operation line comprises a plurality of devices for fiber forming arranged sequentially, one or a plurality of receiving devise(s) of fiber transportation coming from said devices of fiber forming and one or a plurality of thermal treatment devices or creating the required thermal conditions like drying oven, characterized in that the installation further comprises at least one spraying ramp for applying a composition having softening properties on upper and/or lower surface of felt web of mineral wool coming from a device of fiber receiving, in a liquid phase, when said web is still in the form of a continuous band behind receiving devices and before one or a plurality of the thermal treatment devices or creating the required conditions in said operation line. 24. The installation according to claim 23, characterized in that comprises at least one spraying ramp for applying on the upper surface of the felt web in the form of a continuous band, moving along the transportation plane, wherein the ramp is arranged above the upper surface of said felt web and transverse to the movement axis. 25. The in