Patent ID: 7842382

Claim:
A formaldehyde free binder composition, comprising: a reaction product of a polycarboxylic acid component with a polymeric polyhydroxyl component, wherein i) the polycarboxylic acid component and polyhydroxyl component have an alkaline pH, ii) the ratio of the number of molar equivalents of acid groups of the polycarboxylic acid to the number of molar equivalents of hydroxyl groups of the polymeric polyhydroxyl component is in the range from about 0.6:1 to about 1.2:1, iii) the polycarboxylic acid component is selected from a dicarboxylic acid, tricarboxylic acid, tetra carboxylic acid, or penta carboxylic acid, and salts and anhydride derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof, and iv) the reaction product consists of a maximum of 5 ester linkages between a given molecule of the polycarboxylic acid component and one or more molecule of the polymeric polyhydroxyl components.