Recyclable fire-resistant moldable batt and panels formed therefrom
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A panel adapted for use in a furniture assembly, said panel comprising:
- a first face;
a second face opposite said first face; and
a non-woven fibrous body disposed between said first and said second faces, said non-woven fibrous body including (i) from about 15% to about 60% of a fiber component dispersed throughout said body, (ii) from about 15% to about 85% of a fire-retardant cellulose component dispersed throughout said body, and (iii) from about 15% to about 70% of a binder component dispersed throughout said body, said body further including a plurality of fused regions of contact defined between adjacent portions of binder component resulting from prior heating of said body to a temperature sufficient to cause at least partial melting of said binder component and thereby fuse said adjacent portions of binder component;
said panel exhibiting a flame-spread index of 25 or less, and a smoke index of 450 or less.
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Abstract
A moldable batt is disclosed that comprises a fire-retardant cellulose, a fiber component, and a binder component. In one version of the invention, the fiber and binder components are provided as a conjugate fiber material. The batt is compressed and heated to form panels or other products that are particularly useful in the office furniture industry.
137 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A panel adapted for use in a furniture assembly, said panel comprising:
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a first face;
a second face opposite said first face; and
a non-woven fibrous body disposed between said first and said second faces, said non-woven fibrous body including (i) from about 15% to about 60% of a fiber component dispersed throughout said body, (ii) from about 15% to about 85% of a fire-retardant cellulose component dispersed throughout said body, and (iii) from about 15% to about 70% of a binder component dispersed throughout said body, said body further including a plurality of fused regions of contact defined between adjacent portions of binder component resulting from prior heating of said body to a temperature sufficient to cause at least partial melting of said binder component and thereby fuse said adjacent portions of binder component;
said panel exhibiting a flame-spread index of 25 or less, and a smoke index of 450 or less. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A panel adapted for use in a furniture assembly, said panel comprising:
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a first surface;
a second surface opposite from said first surface; and
a non-woven fibrous body disposed between said first surface and said second surface, said non-woven fibrous body including (i) from about 40% to about 70% of a fire-retardant cellulose component dispersed throughout said body, and (ii) from about 30% to about 60% of a bi-component fiber, said bi-component fiber having an inner portion of a first thermoplastic and an outer portion of a second thermoplastic, said second thermoplastic having a melting temperature less than the melting temperature of said first thermoplastic, said body further including a plurality of fused regions of contact defined between adjacent bi-component fibers resulting from prior heating of said body to a temperature greater than said melting temperature of said second thermoplastic;
said panel having fire-retardancy properties such that said panel exhibits a flame-spread index of 25 or less and a smoke index of 450 or less. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A fire-resistant moldable batt comprising:
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(i) from about 15% to about 60% of a fiber component;
(ii) from about 15% to about 85% of a fire-retardant cellulose component, said cellulose component treated with at least one of boric acid or sodium polyborate; and
(iii) from about 15% to about 70% of a binder component, said binder component being a thermoplastic having a melting point of from about 100°
C. (212°
F.) to about 185°
C. (365°
F.). - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A process for producing a panel, said process comprising:
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providing from about 15% to about 60% by weight of said panel of a fiber component;
providing from about 15% to about 85% by weight of said panel of a fire-retardant cellulose component;
providing from about 15% to about 70% by weight of said panel of a binder component;
dispersing together said fiber component, said cellulose component, and said binder component to form a non-woven fibrous batt having a plurality of regions of contact between adjacent portions of binder component;
forming said non-woven fibrous batt by compressing said batt to a density of from about 2.5 lbs/ft3 to about 14.8 lbs/ft3, and heating said batt to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of said binder component to thereby fuse together said regions of contact between adjacent binder portions and form said panel. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A process for producing a panel, said process comprising:
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providing from about 40% to about 70% by weight of said panel of a cellulose component;
providing from about 30% to about 60% by weight of said panel of a conjugate fiber, said conjugate fiber having a first portion of a first thermoplastic and a second portion of a second thermoplastic having a melting temperature less than the melting temperature of said first thermoplastic;
dispersing together said cellulose component and said conjugate fiber to form a non-woven fibrous batt having a plurality of regions of contact between adjacent conjugate fibers;
heating and compressing said non-woven fibrous batt by compressing said batt to a density of from about 2.5 lbs/ft3 to about 14.8 lbs/ft3, and a temperature greater than the melting temperature of said second thermoplastic to thereby fuse together said regions of contact between adjacent conjugate fibers and form said panel. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification