Binder for non-woven fabric

• US 20010021735A1
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Original Assignee: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Inventors: Schulz, Gerald Owen
• Granted Patent: US 6,344,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/155
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/27 Rubber latex
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/32 obtained otherwise than by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/32 Phosphorus-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/02 Polyalkylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/08 Latex
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/587 characterised by the bonding agents used
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/64 the bonding agent being applied in wet state, e.g. chemical agents in dispersions or solutions

Abstract

This invention relates to fire retardant latex binders for non-woven fabrics. Non-woven fabrics can be manufactured using the fire retardant latex binder formulations of this invention using cotton fibers, polyester fibers, rayon fibers, nylon fibers, cellulosic fibers, fiber glass or various mixtures of such fibers. The fire retardant latex binders of this invention are particularly useful in manufacturing fiber glass furnace filters. The fire retardant latex binders of this invention are comprised of (1) water, (2) a styrene-butadiene rubber, (3) a fatty acid soap, (4) a sulfonate surfactant, (5) an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight of at least 8000, and (6) about 10 phr to about 50 phr of diammonium phosphate.

Claims

1. A fire-retardant latex binder composition which is comprised of (1) water, (2) a styrene-butadiene rubber, (3) a fatty acid soap, (4) a sulfonate surfactant, (5) an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight of at least 8000, and (6) about 10 phr to about 50 phr of diammonium phosphate.

2. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 1

wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.1 phr to about 5 phr, and wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.1 phr to about 4 phr.

3. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 2

wherein the latex binder composition contains from about 2 phr to about 7 phr of the fatty acid soap.

4. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 3

wherein the styrene-butadiene rubber contains repeat units that are derived from about 10 weight percent to about 30 weight percent styrene and from about 70 weight percent to about 90 weight percent 1,3-butadiene.

5. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 4

wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a propylene oxide block that has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 2,000 to 12,000.

6. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 5

wherein propylene oxide block in the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a molecular weight that represents from 10 weight percent to 50 weight percent of the total molecular weight of the triblock polymer.

7. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 6

wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 1 phr to about 3 phr, and wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.4 phr to about 2 phr.

8. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 7

wherein the latex contains from about 4 phr to about 6 phr of the fatty acid soap.

9. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 8

wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 10,000 to 20,000.

10. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 9

wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a propylene oxide block that has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 2,500 to 8,000.

11. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 10

wherein propylene oxide block in the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a molecular weight that represents from 20 weight percent to 40 weight percent of the total molecular weight of the triblock polymer.

12. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 11

wherein the diammonium phosphate is present at a level which is within the range of about 15 phr to about 40 phr.

13. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 12

wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 1.5 phr to about 2.5 phr, and wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.8 phr to about 1.2 phr.

14. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 13

wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 10,500 to 16,000.

15. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 14

wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a propylene oxide block that has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 3,000 to 6,000.

16. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 15

wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 11,000 to 14,000.

17. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 16

wherein propylene oxide block in the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a molecular weight that represents from 25 weight percent to 30 weight percent of the total molecular weight of the triblock polymer.

18. A fire-retardant latex binder composition as specified in

claim 16

wherein the styrene-butadiene rubber contains repeat units that are derived from about 15 weight percent to about 25 weight percent styrene and from about 75 weight percent to about 85 weight percent 1,3-butadiene.

19. A process for manufacturing a furnace filter which comprises (I) applying a fire-retardant latex binder composition to a fiberglass matrix to produce a latex-coated fiberglass matrix, wherein the fire-retardant latex binder composition is comprised of (1) water, (2) a styrene-butadiene rubber, (3) a fatty acid soap, (4) a sulfonate surfactant, (5) an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight of at least 8000, and (6) about 10 phr to about 50 phr of diammonium phosphate, and (II) drying the latex-coated fiberglass matrix to produce the furnace filter.

20. A process as specified in

claim 19

wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.1 phr to about 5 phr, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.1 phr to about 4 phr, wherein the fatty acid soap is present at a level which is within the range of about 2 phr to about 7 phr, and wherein the diammonium phosphate is present at a level which is within the range of about 15 phr to about 40 phr.

21. A process as specified in

claim 20

wherein the fire-retardant latex binder composition is sprayed onto the fiberglass matrix and wherein the latex coated fiberglass matrix is dried at a temperature which is within the range of about 110°

C. to about 150°

C.