Method for producing a wet-laid fiber mat

Abstract

A method is provided for forming a wet-laid nonwoven glass fiber mat comprised of a plurality of bundles of fibers. The method includes the steps of adding chopped fibers to an aqueous slurry containing a sufficient amount of a suitable hydrophobic agent to cause the fibers to form a plurality of bundles. The fibers are then formed into a mat which may be used in a number of reinforcement applications. A method is also provided for modifying the components in the water slurry to produce mats comprising either bundles of fibers or dispersed fibers.

1 . A method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat comprising: 
 preparing glass fibers, the glass fibers being coated with a size composition having a bundling agent;    mixing the glass fibers into an aqueous slurry composition to form a fiber slurry in which the fibers tend to form bundles of at least about 50 fibers;    applying the fiber slurry to a porous conveyor;    dewatering the fiber slurry to form a fiber web composed primarily of fiber bundles;    applying a binder composition to the fiber web to form a treated fiber web; and    curing the treated fiber web to form a fiber mat.    
     
     
         2 . The method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the slurry composition includes a cationic surfactant and a viscosity modifier.    
     
     
         3 . The method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the bundling agent is prepared from a condensate of a polyunsaturated fatty acid and an amine.    
     
     
         4 . The method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the bundling agent is an acetate prepared from a condensate of a polyunsaturated fatty acid and an amine.    
     
     
         5 . The method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 the amine is present in a ratio of between about 1:1 and about 3:1 relative to the polyunsaturated fatty acid.    
     
     
         6 . The method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat according to  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the bundling agent is an acetate salt of a condensate of linoleic acid and tetraethylenepentamine.    
     
     
         7 . The method for forming a wet-laid glass fiber mat according to  claim 6 , wherein: 
 the linoleic acid and the tetraethylenepentamine are present in the condensate at a ratio of about 2:1.    
     
     
         8 . An aqueous size composition for treating mineral fibers comprising: 
 a silane cross-linking agent; and    a bundling agent comprising condensate of a polyunsaturated fatty acid and an amine.    
     
     
         9 . The aqueous size composition according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the composition includes a cationic surfactant and a viscosity modifier.    
     
     
         10 . The aqueous size composition according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the bundling agent is an acetate prepared from a condensate of a polyunsaturated fatty acid and an amine.    
     
     
         11 . The aqueous size composition according to  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the amine is present in a ratio of between about 1:1 and about 3:1 relative to the polyunsaturated fatty acid.    
     
     
         12 . The aqueous size composition according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 the bundling agent is an acetate salt of a condensate of linoleic acid and tetraethylenepentamine.    
     
     
         13 . The aqueous size composition according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 the linoleic acid and the tetraethylenepentamine are present in the condensate at a ratio of about 2:1.    
     
     
         14 . A method of synthesizing a bundling agent comprising: 
 charging a vessel with an unsaturated fatty acid;    heating the unsaturated fatty acid to form a melt, the unsaturated fatty acid exhibiting an initial degree of unsaturation;    adding an amine with the melt to form a reaction mixture;    heating the reaction mixture to distill lighter components and produce a distillate, wherein the reaction mixture;    cooling the reaction mixture;    treating the reaction mixture to form a treated reaction mixture; and    solidifying the treated reaction mixture to obtain the bundling agent, wherein the bundling agent maintains at least about 90% of the original unsaturation.    
     
     
         15 . The method of synthesizing a bundling agent according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 agitating the melt while the melt is being maintained under a nitrogen blanket; and    removing the nitrogen blanket and applying a low nitrogen sparge until production of the distillate is substantially complete and the reaction mixture temperature approaches 480° F. (249° C.); and    and cooling the reaction mixture temperature.    
     
     
         16 . The method of synthesizing a bundling agent according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the unsaturated fatty acid includes a major portion of linoleic acid; and    the amine is a multifunctional amine.    
     
     
         17 . The method of synthesizing a bundling agent according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the amine is chosen from alkylenepolyamines, amines represented by the formula H 2 N((CH 2 ) y NH) x —H in which x is one or more and y is an integer having a value of 4 to 10. Typical amines of this class are the alkylenediamines such as 1,6-diamino-3-methyl-n-hexane; 1,3-propylenediamine 1,4-diamino-n-butane; 1,6-diamine-n-hexane, 1,10-diamino-n-decane and polyalkylenepolyamines such as diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, polypropylenepolyamines and polybutylenepolyamines.    
     
     
         18 . The method of synthesizing a bundling agent according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the amine is chosen from tetraethylenepentamine, polypropylenepolyamines and polybutylenepolyamines.    
     
     
         19 . The method of synthesizing a bundling agent according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the amine is tetraethylenepentamine.    
     
     
         20 . A wet-laid glass fiber mat comprising: 
 mineral fibers comprising a silane cross-linking agent and a bundling agent comprising condensate of a polyunsaturated fatty acid and an amine.    
     
     
         21 . The wet-laid glass fiber mat of  claim 20 , wherein said mineral fibers further comprise a cationic surfactant and a viscosity modifier.  
     
     
         22 . The wet-laid glass fiber mat of  claim 20 , wherein said bundling agent is an acetate prepared from a condensate of a polyunsaturated fatty acid and an amine.  
     
     
         23 . The wet-laid glass fiber mat of  claim 20 , wherein said amine is present in a ratio of between about 1:1 and about 3:1 relative to the polyunsaturated fatty acid.  
     
     
         24 . The wet-laid glass fiber mat of  claim 23 , wherein said bundling agent is an acetate salt of a condensate of linoleic acid and tetraethylenepentamine.