Patent GB-882296-A (GB)
Title: A composite foam and mineral product and methods for producing same
IPC: B32B27/00
Filed: 1958-03-06
Abstract: 882,296. Agglutinated fibrous materials; laminates; coated fabrics. OWENS-CORNING FIBERGLAS CORPORATION. March 6, 1958 [March 14, 1957; March 18, 1957], No. 7266/58. Class 140. [Also in Group X] A method of producing a composite structure of fibrous vitreous mineral material and set foamed material comprising the step of bringing settable foamable material into association with a mass of fibrous, vitreous mineral material intermeshed and/or bonded to an extent such that the mass has bodily integrity and causing the foamable material to foam inside and throughout the mass of fibrous material and then causing the foam to set. Specified fibres are glass wool and mineral wool. A preliminary binder may be used to increase the bodily integrity of the mass of fibres before application of the foam. Specified preliminary binders are phenol-, urea-, or melamine-aldehyde resins, polyesters, epoxy resins, silicones, furfurals, gelatin formaldehydes, polyamides, coumarone indenes, polyvinylidene chloride, cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, alkyds, cellulose acetobutyrate, natural rubber, polychloroprene, polybutadiene, polybutene, styrene-butadiene copolymers, butadiene acrylonitrile copolymers, polysulphide elastomers, starch, albumen, casein, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrollidone, terpenes, shellac, asphalt, natural glues, mineral and vegetable oil. The foamable material may consist of a binder with a gas-producing agent dispersed in it or containing solidified gas or gas under pressure. Specified binders are phenol formaldehyde partial condensation product, urea-aldehyde partial condensation products, melamine aldehyde partial condensation products, resorcinol aldehyde partial condensation products, epoxy resins, silicones, furfuryl-aldehyde partial condensation products, gypsums, Portland cement, magnesium oxysulphate, magnesium oxychloride, zinc oxysulphate, zinc oxychloride, magnesium oxyphosphate, zinc oxyphosphate, alumnite cement, calcium silicate, aluminium silicate, pozzuolanic cement, colloidal silicic acid, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl chlorides, polyvinyl butyrals, polyethylenes, polystyrenes, polyamides, coumarone indenes, polyvinylidene chlorides, cellulose acetates, ethyl cellulose, asphalt, polymethyl methacrylates, polyethylmethacrylates, cellulose acetobutyrates, terpenes, shellac, gelatin formaldehyde materials, casein, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinylpyrollidone, natural rubber, polychloroprene, polybutadiene, polybutene, acrylonitrile, butadiene - acrylonitrile copolymers, polysulphide elastomers, magnesium sulphate heptahydrate. Specified gas-producing agents are ammonium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, dinitrosopentamethylene - tetramine, N,N<SP>1</SP>-dimethyl N,N<SP>1</SP>-dinitroso-terephthalamide, and p,p<SP>1</SP>-oxy-bis-(benzene sulphonyl hydrazide). A volatile solvent such as water or isopropyl ether can also be mixed with the binder and vaporized by heat to cause foaming. Suitable materials which will react to form a gas are aluminium or magnesium and an acid or alkali or calcium carbonate and an acid. Finelydivided solid carbon dioxide may be dispersed in the binder. Polymethane foamable binders, comprising a polyester, an isocyanate and an amine accelerator in presence of water, may be used. The fibres may be coated with a release agent such as a silicone prior to application of the foamable material; in which case the foamed material becomes intimately associated with the fibres but is not bonded thereto. As shown in Fig. 1, a mass of mineral fibres 30, is disposed within a closed mould 31, and associated with a foamable binder 32. Upon foaming, the binder 32 is distributed throughout the fibrous mass 30 and fills the mould as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 7, a mass of fibres 82 is interlocked by a preliminary binder 83 and intimately associated with a foamed and set material 84. As shown in Fig. 4, two masses 64 and 65 of intermeshed mineral fibres are brought together to form the mass 61 which is thereupon introduced into a zone between cooperating impervious conveyers 59 and 60. Foamable material or a binder may be introduced by spray nozzle 66 into the nip between masses 64 and 65. Foamable material or a non-foamable settable material may be introduced by pipes 62 and 63 into the nips between mass 61 and conveyers 60 and 59 respectively. By introducing foamable material through spray 66 and non-foamable settable material through pipes 62 and 63 a product as shown in Fig. 6 is produced comprising set surface layers 69 and 70. The method of the invention can be modified so that three or more bodily separate masses of intermeshed mineral fibres are brought together; and a web or sheet of cellulose acetate or polyethylene can be introduced between each pair of adjacent masses of fibre to produce lamina structures. As shown in Fig. 9, the product comprises layers 118, 119 and 120 of intermeshed fibres and webs or films 121, 122, 123 and 124. The layers 118, 119 and 120 may be associated with a foamed material or one or more of these layers may not be so associated. Webs 121 and 124 may be sheets of hardened, flexible or elastomeric material, or hardened resinous material which has impregnated layers 118 and 120 to a limited degree or they may be metal. Webs 122 and 123 may be of any desired practical material. The fibres may be pretreated with wetting agents. Anti-oxidants, fire-proofing agents and fillers may be added to the foamable material to modify the properties of the product.