Non-Woven, Flame Retardant, Moisture Resistant Panel and Method of Construction Thereof

Abstract

A nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel and method of construction thereof is provided. The panel includes a bonded nonwoven sheet of bast fibers bonded with polymeric binding fibers. Further, the panel includes a single coating of a dried and cured solution. The dried and cured coating includes a binder, a Ph stabilizer and a single flame retardant. The binder is cross-linked with the bast fibers to form a moisture resistant barrier that reduces the moisture absorption of the bast fibers

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel, comprising:
 a bonded nonwoven sheet, said bonded nonwoven sheet including a mixture of bast fibers bonded with polymeric binding fibers; and   a single coating of a dried and cured solution, said solution including a binder, a Ph stabilizer and a single flame retardant, said binder being cross-linked with said bast fibers and forming a moisture resistant barrier that reduces the moisture absorption of said bast fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  further including a scrim layer bonded to at least one side of said panel. 
     
     
         3 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 2  wherein said scrim layer is free of formaldehyde. 
     
     
         4 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 3  further including said scrim layer being bonded to opposite sides of said panel. 
     
     
         5 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein said mixture includes between 50-80 wt % of said bast fibers fiber and between 15-50 wt % of said polymeric binding fiber. 
     
     
         6 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein said bonded nonwoven sheet is between 150 gsm and 1500 gsm. 
     
     
         7 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein said dried and cured coating has between 30 and 300 gsm dry pickup weight. 
     
     
         8 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein the panel contains less than 0.04 ppm formaldehyde. 
     
     
         9 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein said fire retardant is provided from at least one of the group consisting of a boron-based, phosphorous-based and sulfur-based compound. 
     
     
         10 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 9  wherein said fire retardant is provided as disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. 
     
     
         11 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 9  wherein said fire retardant is provided having between about 5-25 wt %. 
     
     
         12 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 11  wherein said fire retardant is provided having about 15 wt %. 
     
     
         13 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein said panel is an office divider panel. 
     
     
         14 . The nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel of  claim 1  wherein said panel meets the office divider tackable board requirements of ASTM E-84 Class A. 
     
     
         15 . A method of constructing a nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel, comprising:
 forming a homogenous mixture of bast fibers and polymeric binding fiber;   forming a web of the homogenous mixture;   melting the polymeric binding fiber and bonding the bast fibers with the material of the polymeric binding fiber to form a bonded nonwoven sheet;   saturating the bonded nonwoven sheet in a solution including a binder, a Ph stabilizer and a flame retardant;   cross-linking the binder with the bast fibers by drying the saturated, bonded nonwoven sheet and curing the solution; and   compressing the nonwoven sheet.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further including compressing the nonwoven sheet while curing the solution. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further including cooling the nonwoven sheet while compressing the nonwoven sheet. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further including using a modified polycarboxylic acid with a polyol for the binder. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  further including forming the solution by diluting the binder with water and compounding a single flame retardant with the binder and water mixture. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  further including using about 10-20 wt % of the binder in the solution. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  further including laminating a scrim layer to at least one side of the panel. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further including providing the scrim layer as being free of formaldehyde. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15  further including constructing the panel having less than 0.04 ppm formaldehyde content. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15  further including providing the fire retardant from at least one of the group consisting of a boron-based, phosphorous-based and sulfur-based compound. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further including providing the fire retardant as disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further including providing the fire retardant having about 15 wt %. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  further including providing the fire retardant having between about 5-25 wt %. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 15  further including constructing the nonwoven, fire retardant, moisture resistant panel so that it meets the office divider tackable board requirements of ASTM E-84 Class A. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 15  further including maintain the nonwoven sheet as a continuous piece of material until after compressing the sheet and then cutting the sheet to form the desired length of the panel.