Improved binder compositions and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to new aqueous binder compositions comprising an aqueous curable binder composition comprising starting materials required for forming a thermoset resin upon curing and a matrix polymer, wherein the starting materials required for forming a thermoset resin upon curing comprise (i) a polyhydroxy component and a polycarboxylic acid component, or an anhydride, ester or salt derivative thereof and/or reaction product thereof, or (ii) a carbohydrate component and a nitrogen containing component and/or a reaction product thereof.

1 . An aqueous curable binder composition comprising starting materials required for forming a thermoset resin upon curing and a matrix polymer, wherein the starting materials required for forming a thermoset resin upon curing comprise (i) a polyhydroxy component and a polycarboxylic acid component, or an anhydride, ester or salt derivative thereof and/or reaction product thereof, or (ii) a carbohydrate component and a nitrogen containing component and/or a reaction product thereof, and wherein the matrix polymer is selected from cellulose, starch, alginate, hyaluronic acid, and their derivatives, starch derivatives or copolymers, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), chitosan, polyvinyls (polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylonitrile (PAN)), polyacrylics, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyacrylamide, polymethacrylamides, polyurethanes, polyesters, aliphatic isocyanate oligomers, azetidinium polymer, copolymers thereof and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         2 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the polycarboxylic acid component is selected from monomeric and polymeric polycarboxylic acids. 
     
     
         3 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 2  wherein the polycarboxylic acid component is a monomeric polycarboxylic acid, such as dicarboxylic acid, including, but not limited to, unsaturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, saturated aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, aromatic dicarboxylic acids, unsaturated cyclic dicarboxylic acids, saturated cyclic dicarboxylic acids, hydroxy-substituted derivatives thereof, or, tricarboxylic acid, including, but not limited to, unsaturated aliphatic tricarboxylic acids, saturated aliphatic tricarboxylic acids, aromatic tricarboxylic acids, unsaturated cyclic tricarboxylic acids, saturated cyclic tricarboxylic acids, hydroxy-substituted derivatives thereof, preferably citric acid, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the salt derivative of the polycarboxylic acid component is an ammonium salt. 
     
     
         5 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the polyhydroxy component is a carbohydrate component selected from monosaccharide in its aldose or ketose form, including a triose, a tetrose, a pentose, a hexose, or a heptose; or an oligosaccharide or polysaccharide; or a component that yields one or more reducing sugars in situ, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the nitrogen containing component is an ammonium salt of an inorganic acid, selected from phosphoric, sulphuric, nitric and carbonic acid, preferably ammonium sulphate or ammonium phosphate. 
     
     
         7 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the nitrogen containing component is selected from polyamine functional compounds comprising primary and/or secondary and/or tertiary and/or quaternary amine functional groups. 
     
     
         8 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 7  wherein the polyamine functional compound has the formula of H 2 N-Q-NH 2 , wherein Q is an alkylene, cycloalkylene, heteroalkylene, or cycloheteroalkylene, each of which optionally substituted. 
     
     
         9 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 7  wherein the polyamine functional compound is selected from di-amine, tri-amine, tetra-amine, and pentaamine, more specifically 1,6-diaminohexane and 1,5-diamino-2-methylpentane, diethylenetriamine, 1-piperazine-ethaneamine, and bis(hexamethylene)triamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, polyethyleneimine (PEI), polyvinyl amine, polyether amine, polylysine. 
     
     
         10 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the matrix polymer is selected from cellulose derivatives, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC); nanocellulose, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), aliphatic isocyanate oligomers, chitosan, azetidinium polymer or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1  wherein the matrix polymer shows a molecular weight ranging from 500 Daltons (Da) to 2×10 6  Da, preferably from 1×10 3 -5×10 5  Da, more preferably from 5×10 4  Da-3×10 5  Da. 
     
     
         12 . The aqueous curable binder composition of any of the  claim 1  wherein the dry weight ratio of carbohydrate to ammonium salt of inorganic or polycarboxylic acid or polyamine functional compound ranges from about 2 to about 35, preferably from about 2.5 to about 13. 
     
     
         13 . The aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 12  wherein the matrix polymer makes up from about 1 to 20% of the dry weight of the binder composition, preferably from about 2 to 18% dry weight, more preferably from 5 to 15% dry weight of the composition. 
     
     
         14 . The aqueous curable binder composition of any of the  claim 1  further comprising dyes, antifungal agents, antibacterial agents, hydrophobes, silicone containing coupling agents and/or other additives known in the art for such binder compositions. 
     
     
         15 . The aqueous binder composition of any of the preceding  claim 1  wherein a component is selected micro-/or nano-particles derived from natural or synthetic polymers or their combination such as nanocelluloses, or from inorganic materials such as MgO, CaO, Al 2 O 3  and CaCO 4 , or nanoclays such as montmorillonite, bentonite, kaolinite, hectorite, and halloysite and other organically-modified nanoclays, and/or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         16 . An assembly of fibers or particles bonded with an aqueous curable binder composition according to  claim 1  or with a binder resulting from the curing of any of the curable binder compositions of claim 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of fibers according to  claim 16  being an insulation product, such as a mineral wool mat or other. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of particles according to  claim 16  being a composite wood board, such as wood fiber board, wood particle board, plywood or similar board. 
     
     
         19 . A process for the manufacturing of an assembly of fibers or particles according to  claim 17  characterized in that it comprises the successive or concomitant application of the relevant components of the aqueous curable binder composition of  claim 1 , or the application of an aqueous binder composition according to  claim 1  onto a collection of fibers or particles; the gathering of the coated fibers or particles in an assembly; and curing, whereby the components of the aqueous curable binder composition are caused to react to form a macromolecular binder, and evaporating water. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 19  characterized in that curing is performed at a temperature ranging from 90° C.-200° C., preferably higher than 140° C., more preferably lower than 190° C., typically between 160 and 180° C. 
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 19  characterized in that the aqueous binder composition is applied by spraying onto the collection of fibers or particles. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 19  wherein the assembly is a wood fiber board or wood particle board or similar wood board, subjected to pressing during curing.