Shear panel building material

• US 8,440,296 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsphere Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: Ashtech Industries, LLC
• Inventors: Kipp, Michael D., Pugh, Dilworth L., Ridges, Michael D., McCarvill, William T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hai
• Application Number:
  US13/176,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20120148812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 428/319.1, 428/319.3, 428/319.7, 428/312.2, 428/313.3, 428/318.4, 428/402, 525/78, 264/241, 264/261
• US Class Current: 428/318.4
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/06 of paper or cardboard
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/082 Cenospheres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0036 Microsized or nanosized
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00612 as one or more layers of a layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/2092 Resistance against biological degradation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2623 Polyvinylalcohols; Polyvinylacetates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/26 Silicates of the alkali metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/10 by using foaming agents C04B38/02 takes precedenceor by using mechanical means, e.g. adding preformed foam
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/90 slab-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/2696 Shear bracing
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/7691 Heat reflecting layers or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/043 of plaster E04C2/049 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/16 of fibres, chips, vegetable stems, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/24 laminated and composed of materials covered by two or more of groups E04C2/12, E04C2/16, E04C2/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2495 Thickness [relative or absolute]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249967 Inorganic matrix in void-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249971 Preformed hollow element-containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249987 With nonvoid component of specified composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24999 : Inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/27 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component, the element or component having a specified weight per unit area [e.g., gms/sq cm, lbs/sq ft, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/10 : Scrim [e.g., open net or mesh, gauze, loose or open weave or knit, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/30 : Woven fabric [i.e., woven strand or strip material]

Abstract

A shear panel building material that includes a first facing membrane, a core matrix disposed on a face of the first facing membrane, and a semi-rigid or rigid material attached to the core matrix. The core matrix can include microspheres having a size of about 200 microns to about 800 microns, sodium silicate, and ethylene vinyl acetate. In one aspect, the shear panel is substantially free from glue and cement.

Claims

1. A shear panel building material comprising:

a first facing membrane and a second facing membrane, wherein the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane are independently selected from the group consisting of paper, metal and metal alloys;

a rigid material situated between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane, said rigid material being self-supporting; and

a core matrix sandwiched between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane, wherein the core matrix includes;

from about 25 wt % to about 60 wt % of microspheres based on wet formulation, the microspheres having a size of from 100 to 1500 microns, wherein the microspheres are consisting of cenospheres, each cenosphere comprising an outer surface and a hollow interior filled with gas;

from about 20 wt % to about 36 wt % sodium silicate binder; and

from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % organic binder, wherein the microspheres are bonded together by the sodium silicate to create a plurality of voids between the microspheres,

wherein the rigid material is held in place with respect to the first and second facing membranes by the core matrix.

2. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the rigid material is substantially the same height and length of the first facing membrane.

3. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the rigid material is a mesh.

4. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the rigid material is a continuous sheet.

5. A shear panel building material as in claim 4, wherein the continuous sheet has a thickness of about 2 to about 3 lbs/sq, yd.

6. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the core matrix further includes from about 2 wt % to about 6 wt % of a vinyl acetate.

7. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the microspheres are present in an amount from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of the wet mixture.

8. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the microspheres have a size of from about 200 to about 800 microns.

9. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the rigid material is selected from the group consisting of plastics, metals, metal alloys, fiberglass, Kevlar, nylon, graphite/composites, woven fabric, fiber sheets, and combinations thereof.

10. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the rigid material is quilted aluminum sheet.

11. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, comprising a plurality of rigid materials situated between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane.

12. A shear panel building material as in claim 1, wherein the rigid material is configured to improve the shear panel building material'"'"'s ability to counter effects of lateral loads by greater than about 10%.

13. A method of forming a shear panel building material according to claim 1, comprising:

combining the microspheres with from about 20 wt % to about 36 wt % sodium silicate binder and from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % organic binder to form a mixture;

disposing a first part of the mixture between the first facing membrane and the rigid material;

disposing the second part of the mixture between the second facing membrane and the rigid material; and

heat curing the mixture to form a core matrix.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein the rigid material is a quilted sheet.

15. A method as in claim 13, further comprising disposing fibers in the mixture prior to disposing the mixture between the first and second facing membranes and the rigid continuous material.