Recyclable fire-resistant moldable batt and panels formed therefrom

• US 20040028958A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Total Innovative Manufacturing LLC
• Original Assignee: Total Innovative Manufacturing LLC
• Inventors: Frick, Jack, Heger, Teresa M. Donnay, Beard, Dennis J., Assink, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US10/463,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/920
• CPC Class Codes: B27N 3/02 from particles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/12 using fibres of short length, e.g. in the form of a mat non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/465 and impregnating by melting a solid material, e.g. sheets, powders of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/44 Furniture or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 23/02 in the form of fibres or filaments not used
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 23/04 comprising such cellulosic plastic substance as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a glass layer B32B17/08
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 23/10 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/02 Cotton wool; Wadding
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/425 Cellulose series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4291 Olefin series
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/4334 Polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/435 Polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43828 sheath-core
• 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 1/558 in combination with mechanical or physical treatments other than embossing
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/60 the bonding agent being applied in dry state, e.g. thermo-activatable agents in solid or molten state, and heat being applied subsequently
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/70 characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of fibres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2738 Coating or impregnation intended to function as an adhesive to solid surfaces subsequently associated therewith
• 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 442/69 : Autogenously bonded nonwoven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/692 : Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/697 : Containing at least two chemically different strand or fiber materials

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.

Claims

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.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein said fiber component is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and combinations thereof.

3. The panel of claim 1 wherein said cellulose component is a fire-retardant cellulose material treated with an agent selected from the group consisting of boric acid, sodium polyborate, and combinations thereof.

4. The panel of claim 1 wherein said binder component is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polylactide, acrylic, and combinations thereof.

5. The panel of claim 4 wherein said binder component is a polyester fiber.

6. The panel of claim 4 wherein said binder component has a melting point of from about 100°

C. (212°

F.) to about 185°

C. (365°

F.).

7. The panel of claim 1 wherein said cellulose component constitutes from about 40% to about 70% of said non-woven fibrous body.

8. The panel of claim 7 wherein said cellulose component constitutes from about 45% to about 55% of said non-woven fibrous body.

9. The panel of claim 1 wherein said panel has a density of from about 65.7 kg/m³ (2.5 lbs/ft³) to about 237 kg/m³ (14.8 lbs/ft³).

10. The panel of claim 1 wherein said fiber component includes fibers having a diameter of from about 1.5 to about 66 denier.

11. The panel of claim 1 wherein said fiber component includes natural fibers selected from the group consisting of sisal fiber, jute fiber, kena fiber, coconut fiber, corn fiber, soybean fiber, wool fiber, cotton fiber, hemp fiber, and combinations thereof.

12. A panel adapted for use in a furniture assembly, said panel comprising:

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.

13. The panel of claim 12 wherein said first thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and combinations thereof.

14. The panel of claim 12 wherein said cellulose component is a fire-retardant cellulose fiber treated with either boric acid or sodium polyborate.

15. The panel of claim 12 wherein said second thermoplastic is selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polylactide, acrylic, and combinations thereof.

16. The panel of claim 12 wherein said second thermoplastic has a melting point of from about 100°

C. (212°

F.) to about 185°

C. (365°

F.).

17. The panel of claim 12 wherein said cellulose component constitutes from about 45% to about 55% of said non-woven fibrous body.

18. The panel of claim 12 wherein said second thermoplastic constitutes from about 20% to about 80% of said bi-component fiber.

19. The panel of claim 18 wherein said second thermoplastic constitutes from about 40% to about 60% of said bi-component fiber.

20. The panel of claim 19 wherein said second thermoplastic constitutes about 50% of said bi-component fiber.

21. The panel of claim 12 wherein said panel has a density of from about 65.7 kg/m³ (2.5 lbs/ft³) to about 237 kg/m³ (14.8 lbs/ft³).

22. The panel of claim 12 wherein said bi-component fiber has a diameter of from about 1.5 to about 9 denier.

23. The panel of claim 12 wherein the temperature difference between the melting point of said first thermoplastic and the melting point of said second thermoplastic is at least about 5°

C. (9°

F.).

24. The panel of claim 23 wherein said temperature difference is at least about 10°

C. (18°

F.).

25. The panel of claim 24 wherein said temperature difference is at least about 25°

C. (45°

F.).

26. The panel of claim 12 wherein said bi-component fiber has a density of from about 1.25 g/cm³ to about 1.33 g/cm³.

27. A fire-resistant moldable batt comprising:

(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.).

28. The batt of claim 27 wherein said fiber component has a diameter of from about 1.5 to about 66 denier.

29. The batt of claim 27 wherein said cellulose component constitutes from about 40% to about 70% of said batt.

30. The batt of claim 29 wherein said cellulose component constitutes from about 45% to about 55% of said batt.

31. The batt of claim 27 wherein said fiber component and said binder component are in a bi-component fiber.

32. The batt of claim 31 wherein said bi-component fiber constitutes from about 40% to about 70% of said batt.

33. The batt of claim 31 wherein said bi-component fiber has a diameter of from about 1.5 to about 9 denier.

34. The batt of claim 31 wherein said bi-component fiber has a density of from about 1.25 g/cm³ to about 1.33 g/cm³.

35. The batt of claim 31 wherein said bi-component fiber has a side-by-side configuration.

36. The batt of claim 31 wherein said bi-component fiber has a sheath-core configuration.

37. A process for producing a panel, said process comprising:

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.

38. The process of claim 37 wherein said forming step includes:

moving said batt through a heating chamber such that said batt is retained within said chamber for a period of from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes, while passing air having a temperature of from about 120°

C. (248°

F.) to about 250°

C. (482°

F.) through said batt.

39. The process of claim 38 wherein said batt is retained within said chamber for about 3 minutes while air having a temperature of about 220°

F. (428°

F.) is passed through said batt.

40. The process of claim 37 wherein said forming step includes:

a first heating step in which at least a portion of said binder component melts in said batt;

a first cooling step after said first heating step in which said binder component solidifies;

a second heating step after said first cooling step in which a portion of said binder component melts in said batt; and

a second cooling step after said second heating step in which said binder component solidifies.

41. The process of claim 40 in which during at least one of said first and second heating steps, air having a temperature of from about 120°

C. (248°

F.) to about 250°

C. (482°

F.) is passed through said batt.

42. The process of claim 41 wherein said air is at a temperature about 220°

C. (428°

F.).

43. The process of claim 37 wherein said step of providing a fire-retardant cellulose component is performed by providing cellulose treated with at least one of boric acid or sodium polyborate.

44. The process of claim 43 wherein said step of providing said fire-retardant cellulose is performed by providing from about 40% to about 70% of said cellulose, by weight of said batt.

45. The process of claim 37 wherein said steps of providing said fiber component and said binder component are performed by providing an effective amount of a bi-component fiber containing such components.

46. The process of claim 37 wherein said step of forming said batt by compressing and heating said batt includes compressing said batt into said panel having a thickness of from about 6.4 mm (0.25 inches) to about 12.8 mm (0.50 inches).

47. A process for producing a panel, said process comprising:

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.

48. The process of claim 47 wherein said heating step includes:

moving said batt through a heating chamber such that said batt is retained within said chamber for a period of from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes, while passing air having a temperature of from about 120°

C. (248°

F.) to about 250°

C. (482°

F.) through said batt.

49. The process of claim 48 wherein said batt is retained within said chamber for about 3 minutes while air having a temperature of about 220°

F. (428°

F.) is passed through said batt.

50. The process of claim 47 wherein said heating step includes:

a first heating step in which at least a portion of said second thermoplastic melts in said batt;

a first cooling step after said first heating step in which said second thermoplastic solidifies;

a second heating step after said first cooling step in which a portion of said second thermoplastic melts in said batt; and

a second cooling step after said second heating step in which said second thermoplastic solidifies.

51. The process of claim 50 in which during at least one of said first and second heating steps, air having a temperature of from about 120°

C. (248°

F.) to about 250°

C. (482°

F.) is passed through said batt.

52. The process of claim 51 wherein said air is at a temperature about 220°

C. (428°

F.).

53. The process of claim 47 wherein said step of providing said cellulose component is performed by providing cellulose treated with at least one of boric acid and sodium polyborate.

54. The process of claim 47 wherein said steps of heating and compressing said batt includes compressing said batt into said panel having a thickness of from about 6.4 mm (0.25 inches) to about 12.8 mm (0.50 inches).