Flexible non-woven mat

Abstract

A non-woven fibrous mat is provided that includes a mixture of thermoset resins and a thermoplastic resin. It has been found that the physical properties (e.g., flexibility, tensile strength) of a non-woven mat may be improved by formulating a binder composition comprising variable ratios of the thermoset material and the thermoplastic material. In this way, a bonded nonwoven mat may be achieved having a desirable combination of strength and flexibility, while maintain good heat and water resistance.

1 . A method of forming a bonded non-woven mat, the method comprising:
 providing a fibrous web;   applying a precursor binder composition comprising a thermoset material to the fibrous web to form a precursor web;   applying a coating binder composition comprising a thermoplastic material to an exterior surface of the precursor web to form a non-woven mat; and   curing the non-woven mat to form a bonded non-woven mat;   wherein the precursor binder composition and the coating binder composition constitute a binder formulation;   wherein the thermoset material is present in an amount of 5% to 49% by weight of the total binder formulation and the thermoplastic material is present in an amount of 51% to 95% by weight of the total binder formulation; and   wherein the bonded non-woven mat has a Gurley stiffness of 500 mg to 2,000 mg.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bonded non-woven mat has a tensile strength (MD+CD) of at least 105 N/50 mm after curing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoset material is present in the bonded non-woven mat in an amount of 2 g/m 2  to 6 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material is present in the bonded non-woven mat in an amount of 2 g/m 2  to 8 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein fibrous web comprises fiberglass and the total weight of fiberglass in the bonded non-woven mat is between 40 g/m 2  and 60 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoset material is present in an amount of 30% to 49% by weight of the total binder formulation and the thermoplastic material is present in an amount of 51% to 70% by weight of the total binder formulation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoset material is present in an amount of 40% to 49% by weight of the total binder formulation and the thermoplastic material is present in an amount of 51% to 60% by weight of the total binder formulation. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bonded non-woven mat has a Gurley stiffness of 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg. 
     
     
         9 . A bonded non-woven mat comprising:
 a fibrous web; and   a binder formulation on the fibrous web in a core-shell arrangement;   wherein the binder formulation comprises a precursor binder composition comprising a thermoset material in the form of a core and a coating binder composition comprising a thermoplastic material in the form of a shell around the core; and   wherein the thermoset material is present in an amount of 5% to 49% by weight of the binder formulation and the thermoplastic material is present in an amount of 51% to 95% by weight of the binder formulation; and   wherein the bonded non-woven mat has a Gurley stiffness of 500 mg to 2,000 mg.   
     
     
         10 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein the bonded non-woven mat has a tensile strength (MD+CD) of at least 105 N/50 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein the thermoset material is present in the bonded non-woven mat in an amount of 2 g/m 2  to 6 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein the thermoplastic material is present in the bonded non-woven mat in an amount of 2 g/m 2  to 8 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein fibrous web comprises fiberglass and the total weight of fiberglass in the bonded non-woven mat is between 40 g/m 2  and 60 g/m 2 . 
     
     
         14 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein the thermoset material is present in an amount of 30% to 49% by weight of the total binder formulation and the thermoplastic material is present in an amount of 51% to 70% by weight of the total binder formulation. 
     
     
         15 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein the thermoset material is present in an amount of 40% to 49% by weight of the total binder formulation and the thermoplastic material is present in an amount of 51% to 60% by weight of the total binder formulation. 
     
     
         16 . The bonded non-woven mat of  claim 9 , wherein the bonded non-woven mat has a Gurley stiffness of 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg.