Utility materials incorporating a microparticle matrix formed with a setting agent

• US 8,591,677 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• 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): ORLANDO, MICHAEL N
• Application Number:
  US12/612,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20100116405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 525/78, 156/39, 264/241, 428/323
• US Class Current: 156/39
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 19/0092 to webs, sheets or the like, e.g. of paper, cardboard
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/26 characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205; characterised by an apertured layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/16 characterised by features of a layer formed of particles, e.g. chips, powder or granules layer formed of natural mineral particles B32B19/00; layer being formed of wood fibres, chips or particles B32B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/02 Granular materials , e.g. microballoons
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/24 porous, e.g. foamed glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/081 from brown coal or lignite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/082 Cenospheres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0032 characterised by the gas filling pores, e.g. inert gas or air at reduced pressure
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0046 added as monomers or as oligomers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/0062 Gypsum-paper board like materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/06 Oxides, Hydroxides C04B22/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/126 Fluorine compounds, e.g. silico-fluorine compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2623 Polyvinylalcohols; Polyvinylacetates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/282 Polyurethanes; Polyisocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/26 Silicates of the alkali metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/085 of micro- or nanosize
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3895 Inorganic compounds, e.g. aqueous alkalimetalsilicate solutions; Organic derivatives thereof containing no direct silicon-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/90 : slab-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/043 : of plaster E04C2/049 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/2885 : with the insulating material being completely surrounded by, or embedded in, a stone-like material, e.g. the insulating material being discontinuous
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0107 : by moving the sheets, plates or panels substantially in their own plane, perpendicular to the abutting edges
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0138 : by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 : Differential nonuniformity at margin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249971 : Preformed hollow element-containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249974 : Metal- or silicon-containing element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles

Abstract

A composition, utility material, and method of making a utility material is disclosed. A composition having an improved setting time may include a plurality of microparticles mixed with a sodium silicate binder and an isocyanate setting agent, where the microparticle composition has a setting time of less than or equal to one hour. A utility material may be a wallboard that includes the composition.

Claims

1. A method of making a utility material comprising:

providing a wallboard having a first facing membrane and a second facing membrane;

forming a core matrix including a mixture of;

a plurality of microparticles,

wherein the microparticles are cenospheres having an outer shell and a hollow interior filled with a gas, and

wherein the microparticles have a crush strength between 3000 psi and 5000 psi,

a sodium silicate binder, and

an isocyanate setting agent;

disposing the core matrix between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane of the wallboard,

wherein the outer shell of the microparticles excludes the sodium silicate binder and the isocyanate setting agent from the hollow interior of the plurality of microparticles;

setting the core matrix to form a set core matrix; and

making the utility material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the core matrix further comprises:

forming a first mixture including a first portion of the plurality of microparticles and the sodium silicate binder;

forming a second mixture including a second portion of the plurality of microparticles and the isocyanate setting agent; and

mixing the first mixture with the second mixture to form the core matrix mixture.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising coating a contact surface of one of the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane with a sodium silicate coating prior to disposing the core matrix mixture therebetween.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microparticles is from about 25 wt % to about 75 wt % of wet core matrix mixture, wherein the sodium silicate is from about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % of wet core matrix mixture, and wherein the isocyanate setting agent is from about 2 wt % to about 10 wt % of wet core matrix mixture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the core matrix mixture includes the sodium silicate binder and the isocyanate setting agent at a ratio of from about 1:

1 to about 15;

1.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the core matrix mixture includes the sodium silicate binder and the isocyanate setting agent at a ratio of from about 8:

1 to about 12;

1.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein setting time of the core matrix mixture is less than or equal to 30 minutes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the core matrix mixture occurs at ambient temperature.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the set core matrix mixture.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility material has a density between 0.4 g/ml and 0.6 g/ml.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the isocyanate setting agent is configured to cause the core matrix to set in one hour or less.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the curing includes subjecting the core matrix to a temperature ranging from ambient temperature to about 400 degrees F.