Water-soluble moisture addition to enhance molding, stiffness, and surface processing of polymer materials

• US 8,017,535 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Original Assignee: Owens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC (Owens Corning)
• Inventors: Rockwell, Anthony L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salvatore; Lynda
• Application Number:
  US11/638,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20080145630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 442/361, 442362-364, 442/415
• US Class Current: 442/415
• 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 1/4218 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/5412 sheath-core
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/5414 side-by-side
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/5416 sea-island
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/655 characterised by the apparatus for applying bonding agents
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/732 by fluid current, e.g. air-lay
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24992 Density or compression of components
• 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 442/697 Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials

Abstract

Densified non-woven materials having acoustic and thermal properties are provided. The non-woven material is formed of a thermoplastic material or fibers and a thermoplastic material. The fibers may be an organic, inorganic, or thermoplastic fiber and are desirably devoid of conventional sizing compositions. The densified portion of the non-woven material is formed by applying a moisture additive and subsequently applying heat. Heating the non-woven material causes the water in the moisture additive to turn to steam, which causes a molecular change in the polymer based thermoplastic material(s) of the non-woven material that was treated with the moisture additive. The moisture additive is preferably water, but may include a dilute alkali, a dilute acid, or additives to enhance surface, fire, or mold release characteristics. The water additive may be utilized to surface treat, partially treat, or completely treat the air-laid mat to achieve desired acoustic or thermal properties and/or stiffness.

Claims

1. An acoustic product comprising:

an air-laid mat having a first major surface and a second major surface, said air-laid mat being formed of a plurality of randomly oriented glass fibers and a plurality of randomly oriented thermoplastic fibers,

wherein a first portion of said air-laid mat extending from said first major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive and a subsequent application of heat, said moisture additive including water, and

wherein said densified portion extends a distance from said first major surface, said distance correlating to the amount of said moisture additive applied to said first major surface.

2. The acoustic product of claim 1, wherein a second portion of said air-laid mat extending from said second major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive including water and a subsequent application of heat.

10. The acoustic product of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic fibers are multicomponent fibers selected from the group consisting of bicomponent fibers, tricomponent fibers and plastic-coated mineral fibers.

11. The acoustic product of claim 1, wherein said glass fibers and said thermoplastic fibers are devoid of sizing compositions.

3. An acoustic product comprising:

an air-laid mat having a first major surface and a second major surface, said air-laid mat being formed of a plurality of randomly oriented glass fibers and a plurality of randomly oriented thermoplastic fibers,

wherein a first portion of said air-laid mat extending from said first major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive and a subsequent application of heat, said moisture additive including water,

wherein a second portion of said air-laid mat extending from said second major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive including water and a subsequent application of heat, and

wherein said first and second densified portions extend distances from said first and second major surfaces sufficient to densify an entire thickness of said air-laid mat.

4. The acoustic product of claim 3, wherein said thermoplastic fibers are multicomponent fibers selected from the group consisting of bicomponent fibers, tricomponent fibers and plastic-coated mineral fibers.

5. The acoustic product of claim 3, wherein said glass fibers and said thermoplastic fibers are devoid of sizing compositions.

6. An acoustic product comprising:

an air-laid mat having a first major surface and a second major surface, said air-laid mat being formed of a plurality of randomly oriented glass fibers and a plurality of randomly oriented thermoplastic fibers,

wherein a first portion of said air-laid mat extending from said first major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive and a subsequent application of heat, said moisture additive including water,

wherein said glass fibers and said thermoplastic fibers are devoid of sizing compositions, and

wherein said glass fibers and said thermoplastic fibers include a trace amount of at least one member selected from the group consisting of an oil and a silane.

7. An acoustic product comprising:

an air-laid mat having a first major surface and a second major surface, said air-laid mat being formed of a plurality of randomly oriented glass fibers and a plurality of randomly oriented thermoplastic fibers,

wherein a first portion of said air-laid mat extending from said first major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive and a subsequent application of heat, said moisture additive including water, wherein said moisture additive consists of water.

12. The acoustic product of claim 7, wherein a second portion of said air-laid mat extending from said second major surface is densified by an application of a moisture additive including water and a subsequent application of heat.

13. The acoustic product of claim 7, wherein said thermoplastic fibers are multicomponent fibers selected from the group consisting of bicomponent fibers, tricomponent fibers and plastic-coated mineral fibers.

14. The acoustic product of claim 7, wherein said glass fibers and said thermoplastic fibers are devoid of sizing compositions.

8. A densified non-woven material comprising:

a first portion formed of a plurality of randomly oriented theiinoplastic fibers, said first portion having a first density; and

a second portion formed of a plurality of said randomly oriented thermoplastic fibers, said second portion having a second density that is greater than said first density,

wherein said thermoplastic fibers in said second portion are densified by an application of a moisture additive to a surface of said second portion and a subsequent application of heat, said moisture additive including water, and

wherein said densified thermoplastic fibers in said second portion extend a distance from said surface of said second portion to a predetermined thickness.

9. The densified non-woven material of claim 8, wherein said thermoplastic fibers are devoid of a sizing composition.

15. The acoustic product of claim 8, wherein said thermoplastic fibers are multicomponent fibers selected from the group consisting of bicomponent fibers, tricomponent fibers and plastic-coated mineral fibers.