Reinforced acoustical material having high strength, high modulus properties

• US 20080057283A1
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Blinkhorn, Arthur, Cheney, Terry L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,652,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/292.1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4218 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43828 sheath-core
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4383 sea-island
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43832 side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43835 Mixed fibres, e.g. at least two chemically different fibres or fibre blends
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/485 in combination with weld-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/559 the fibres being within layered webs
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/84 Sound-absorbing elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/745 Vegetal products, e.g. plant stems, barks
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/7687 Crumble resistant fibrous blankets or panels using adhesives or meltable fibres
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/8461 layered
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/002 Devices for damping, suppressing, obstructing or conducting sound in acoustic devices G10K1/06 - G10K1/10 take precedence; for electro-mechanical transducers for communication H04R3/002
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/162 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/168 Plural layers of different materials, e.g. sandwiches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249924 Noninterengaged fiber-containing paper-free web or sheet which is not of specified porosity

Abstract

A multilayer composite material is formed of an acoustic core layer and at least one outer strengthening layer. The acoustic composite material has desirable high strength and high flexural modulus properties.

Claims

1. A method of forming an acoustic composite material comprising the steps of:

positioning an acoustic core layer next to a major surface of at least one outer strengthening layer, the acoustic core layer being formed of a composite material comprising dehydrated reinforcing fibers and organic fibers, and

bonding the acoustic core layer to the outer strengthening layer to form an acoustic composite material.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming the acoustic core layer prior to the positioning step, the forming step including:

removing water from wet reinforcing fibers to form dehydrated reinforcing fibers,

blending the dehydrated reinforcing fibers with the organic fibers to form a substantially homogenous mixture of the dehydrated reinforcing fibers and the organic fibers, and

forming the mixture into the acoustic core layer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bonding step comprises:

bonding together at least some of the dehydrated reinforcing fibers and the organic fibers in the acoustic core layer, and

bonding the outer strengthening layer to the acoustic core layer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of at least partially opening bales of wet reinforcing fibers prior to the removing step.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the wet reinforcing fibers in the acoustic core layer are wet chopped strand glass fibers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching a facing layer to at least one exposed major surface of the outer strengthening layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic core layer is bonded to the outer strengthening layer by applying heat to the acoustic core layer and outer strengthening layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein first and second outer strengthening layers are applied to opposing major surfaces of the acoustic core layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the outer strengthening layer comprises a chopped strand mat.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second outer strengthening layers have the same densities and thicknesses.

11. An acoustic composite material comprising at least one outer strengthening layer and an acoustic core layer next to a major surface of the at least one outer strengthening layer, the acoustic core layer comprising dehydrated reinforcing fibers and organic fibers.

12. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, wherein the acoustic core layer comprises a substantially homogenous mixture of the dehydrated reinforcing fibers and the organic fibers.

13. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, wherein at least some of the dehydrated reinforcing fibers and the organic fibers in the acoustic core layer are bonded to the outer strengthening layer.

14. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, wherein the dehydrated reinforcing fibers are formed from wet reinforcing fibers.

15. The acoustic composite material of claim 14, wherein the wet reinforcing fibers in the acoustic core layer are wet use chopped strand glass fibers.

16. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, further includes a facing layer on at least one exposed major surface of the outer strengthening layer.

17. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, wherein the acoustic core layer is thermally bonded to the outer strengthening layer.

18. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, wherein first and second outer strengthening layers are on opposing major surfaces of the acoustic core layer.

19. The acoustic composite material of claim 11, wherein the outer strengthening layer comprises a chopped strand mat.

20. The acoustic composite material of claim 19, wherein the first and second outer strengthening layers have the same densities and thicknesses.