Insulating material

• US 20030176131A1
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Tilton, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US10/099,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176131A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/361
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/08 Insulating elements, e.g. for sound insulation sound insulating linings for trains B61D17/185; drivers' cabs for load-carrying vehicles insulated against vibrations or noise B62D33/0604; thermal or acoustic insulation of engines F02B77/11; damping of sounds using compensation by electro-acoustic methods G10K11/178
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 5/06 strengthened or consolidated by welding-together thermoplastic fibres, filaments, or yarns
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/7687 Crumble resistant fibrous blankets or panels using adhesives or meltable fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/162 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/633 Synthetic polymeric strand or fiber material is of staple length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/637 Including strand or fiber material which is a monofilament composed of two or more polymeric materials in physically distinct relationship [e.g., sheath-core, side-by-side, islands-in-sea, fibrils-in-matrix, etc.] or composed of physical blend of chemically different polymeric materials or a physical blend of a polymeric material and a filler material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/638 Side-by-side multicomponent strand or fiber material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/641 Sheath-core multicomponent strand or fiber material

Abstract

An insulating material is constructed in weight percent from about 20-60% low melt bicomponent fiber, 10-40% high melt bicomponent fiber and 20-60% staple fiber. The material provides a unique combination of strength, acoustical insulating and even thermal insulating properties heretofore unavailable in the art.

Claims

1. An insulating material, comprising in weight percent about 20-60% low melt bicomponent fiber, 10-40% high melt bicomponent fiber and 20-60% staple fiber.

2. The material of claim 1, including an average fiber diameter of between about 10-30 microns.

3. The material of claim 1, including an average fiber diameter of between about 16-24 microns.

4. The material of claim 1, including an average fiber diameter of between about 18-22 microns.

5. The material of claim 1, wherein said material has a density of between about 1.0-10.0 pcf and a flexural strength of between about 40-1200 psi.

6. The material of claim 5, wherein said material has the acoustical absorption coefficients as follows:

7. The material of claim 6, wherein said material has a thermal conductivity value of between about 0.20 and 0.30 at 2 pcf density.

8. The material of claim 1, wherein said low melt and high melt bicomponent fibers are a concentric sheath/core CoPET/PET.

9. The material of claim 8, wherein said staple fibers are selected from a group of materials consisting of polyester fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers, rayon fibers, glass fibers, natural fibers and mixtures thereof.

10. The material of claim 1, wherein said material has the acoustical absorption coefficients as follows:

11. The material of claim 10, wherein said material has a thermal conductivity value of between about 0.20 and 0.30 at 2 pcf density.

12. The material of claim 11, wherein said staple fibers are selected from a group of materials consisting of polyester fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers, rayon fibers, glass fibers, natural fibers and mixtures thereof.

13. The material of claim 1, wherein said staple fibers are selected from a group of materials consisting of polyester fibers, polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers, rayon fibers, glass fibers, natural fibers and mixtures thereof.

14. The material of claim 13, wherein said low melt bicomponent fibers are selected from a group of materials consisting of copolyester/polyethylene terephthalate, poly 1,4 cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate, poly 1,4 cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate/polypropylene, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate, propylene/polyethylene terephthalate, nylon 6/nylon 66, polyethylene/glass, polymer/natural fibers and mixtures thereof that yield differential melt flow temperatures.

15. The material of claim 14, wherein said bicomponent fibers are in a configuration selected from a group consisting of sheath-core, side-by-side, segmented pie and mixtures thereof.

16. The material of claim 14, wherein said low melt bicomponent fibers have a melt flow temperature of about 100 to about 130°

C.

17. The material of claim 13, wherein said high melt bicomponent fibers are selected from a group of materials consisting of copolyester/polyethylene terephthalate, poly 1,4 cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate, poly 1,4 cyclohexanedimethyl terephthalate/polypropylene, glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate/polyethylene terephthalate, propylene/polyethylene terephthalate, nylon 6/nylon 66, and mixtures thereof that yield differential melt flow temperatures.

18. The material of claim 17, wherein said high melt bicomponent fibers are in a configuration selected from a group consisting of sheath-core, side-by-side, splitable segmented pie and mixtures thereof.

19. The material of claim 17, wherein said high melt bicomponent fibers have a melt flow temperature of about 170 to about 200°

C.

20. The material of claim 17, wherein crystalline/semicrystalline bicomponent fibers having a melt flow temperature of about 150 to about 180°

C. are substituted in part or whole for said high melt bicomponent fiber.