Patent GB-868335-A (GB)
Title: Bonded non-woven fibrous products and method for preparing same
IPC: D04H1/64
Filed: 1959-03-23
Abstract: In a non-woven fibrous product the fibres are distributed in random array and are bonded together by a binder comprising an insoluble infusible reaction product of (1) a water-insoluble copolymer having a Ti of not over 17 DEG C. of 1 to 10% of acrylamide or methacrylamide or a mixture of these compounds and 90 to 99% of at least one comonomer consisting of acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile or an acrylate or methacrylate, formed from benzyl alcohol, cyclohexanol or an aliphatic alcohol having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and (2) a water dispersible, thermosetting, resin-forming condensate consisting of (a) an aminoplast condensate which is a low molecular weight or monomeric reaction product of formaldehyde with urea, thio-urea, biuret or homologs or derivatives thereof or an amino-triazine or (b) an epoxy compound having any one of formulae I, II, III and IV:- <FORM:0868335/IV (a)/1> <FORM:0868335/IV (a)/2> <FORM:0868335/IV (a)/3> <FORM:0868335/IV (a)/4> Wherein x is a number having an average value of 1 to 3; y is a number having an average value 2 to 10; m is an integer having a value of 2 to 4; z is a number having an average value of 1 to 5; #F is the p-phenylene group; and p is a number having an average value of 1 to 3; the amount of condensate being from 5% to 17% by weight of the polymer. Specified fibres are cotton, jute, sisal, ramie, wool, hemp; viscose, cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride; copolymers of vinyl chloride with vinyl acetate, vinylidene chloride or acrylonitrile; polyacrylonitrile and copolymers of acrylonitrile with vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, methacrylonitrile or vinyl pyridine; nylon and ethylene glycol terephthalate; glass.  The mats may be formed by carding or air-deposition.  A plurality of carded webs may be superposed, to form the mat with their fibre orientation directions disposed at 60- or 90-degree angles with respect to intervening layers.  The Ti value is the transition temperature formed by plotting the modulus of rigidity against temperature.  Specified acrylates and methacrylates are esters formed from benzyl alcohol, cyclohexanol and aliphatic alcohols having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms. Specified aminoplasts are low molecular weight or monomeric reaction products of formaldedehyde with urea (with or without methanol), thiourea, biuret, N, N-ethyleneurea, N, N1-ethylene urea, N, N1-dimethyl urea, N, N1-diethyl urea, N, N1-dimethoxy-methyl urea, N, N-dimethoxymethyl urea, N, N1-diethoxyethyl urea, tetramethoxymethyl urea, tetraethoxyethyl urea; similar reaction products of formaldehyde with triazines such as melamine and N, N-dimethyl-melamine; and alcoholmodified melamine-formaldehyde thermo-setting resin condensates such as methylated hexamethylol melamine and dimethoxymethylmonomethylolmelamine.  The binder may be applied, in the form of aqueous dispersion or a powder, to the fibres either after formation of the web or mat so as to penetrate into the interior thereof or by spraying on to the fibres as they fall through a settling chamber.  Examples disclose the production of fabrics in accordance with the invention.  Lists of suitable catalysts, wetting agents and defoaming agents are given, of which the following are used in the examples: t-octyl phenoxypolyethoxy ethanol, octyl phenoxy ethoxy sodium sulphate, a silicone, diammonium phosphate and diethanolamine hydrochloride.  A very wide variety of uses is mentioned, depending on the proportions of resin to fibre.