Provided is a glass fiber having a low spinning temperature and a low liquidus temperature, and besides, having a large difference between the liquidus temperature and the spinning temperature, and a method of manufacturing the same. The glass fiber of the present invention includes as a glass composition, in terms of mass % on an oxide basis, 50% to 65% of SiO.sub.2, 0% to 3% of Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 0% to 1% of MgO, 0% to less than 0.7% of CaO, 0% to 1% of Li.sub.2O, 10% to 20% of Na.sub.2O, 0% to 2% of K.sub.2O, 6% to 10% of TiO.sub.2, and 15% to 20% of ZrO.sub.2, and has a value for (Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O)/(MgO+CaO) of 6.0 or more.

A method for the manufacture of mineral wool, is disclosed. In one example, the method comprises reacting an aqueous phenol-formaldehyde resole with free formaldehyde with a first amount of urea, thereby preparing a prereact; contacting the prereact with a second amount of urea; applying the resulting mixture of prereact and second amount of urea, as part of a binder, optionally with additives, to the surface of mineral fibers; and curing the binder on the surface of the mineral fibers. The total amount of urea used ranges 10-40 wt. % relative to the sum of the dry weight of the phenol-formaldehyde resole and the total amount of urea, and the second amount of urea used is at least 40 wt.-% of the total amount of urea. The invention also relates to a mineral wool product with reduced emissions of formaldehyde obtained by the method.

Novel chemical sensors that improve detection and quantification of CO.sub.2 are critical to ensuring safe and cost-effective monitoring of carbon storage sites. Fiber optic (FO) based chemical sensor systems are promising field-deployable systems for real-time monitoring of CO.sub.2 in geological formations for long-range distributed sensing. In this work, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO.sub.2. A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating on the FO sensor comprising plasmonic nanocrystals and zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase CO.sub.2 over a large concentration range. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense CO.sub.2 in the presence of other geologically relevant gases, which is of importance for applications in geological formations. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved CO.sub.2 in natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field.

Hydrophobic mineral insulation materials and method of making the same are disclosed. The mineral insulants may include at least one amino-functional organosilicon compound. The amino-functional organosilicon compounds may have an amine number in the range of 0.05 to 0.40. The method of hydrophobicizing may include providing an aqueous emulsion having at least one amino-functional organosilicon compound which may have an amine in the range of 0.05 to 0.40.

Provided is a glass composition for glass fiber having a low dielectric constant and a low dielectric loss tangent, suppressing occurrence of phase separation, and reducing viscosity at high temperatures. The glass composition for glass fiber includes: SiO.sub.2 in the range of 52.0 to 59.5% by mass; B.sub.2O.sub.3 in the range of 17.5 to 25.5% by mass; Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in the range of 9.0 to 14.0% by mass; SrO in the range of 0.5 to 6.0% by mass; MgO in the range of 1.0 to 5.0% by mass; and CaO in the range of 1.0 to 5.0% by mass, and includes F.sub.2 and Cl.sub.2 in the range of 0.1 to 2.5% by mass in total, with respect to the total amount.

A thermal insulation material includes inorganic fibers and an endothermic material dispersed throughout the inorganic fibers. The endothermic material may be incorporated into the inorganic fibers during a fiber attenuation process. The endothermic material may be particles entangled within a web of the inorganic fibers or may be coated onto surfaces of the inorganic fibers.

The present invention relates to a method for the manufacturing of a coated panel, in particular a wall, ceiling or flooring panel for applications in outdoor areas, as well as such a panel. The method comprises the following steps: providing a carrier plate of mineral wool and/or glass wool, comprising a front side and a rear side, applying a primer onto the front side of the carrier plate, thereafter applying a liquid first oligomer in an amount of 30 to 150 g/m.sup.2 onto the front side of the carrier plate; thereafter applying a liquid second oligomer, which differs from the first oligomer, in an amount of 30 to 180 g/m.sup.2 onto the wet surface of the before applied layer of the first oligomer.

Glass compositions suitable for fiber forming having low levels of Li.sub.2O and glass fibers having high-modulus are disclosed. The glass composition may include SiO.sub.2 from about 59 to about 63 weight percent, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 from about 13.7 to about 16 weight percent, CaO from about 14 to about 16.5 weight percent, MgO from about 6 to about 8.5 weight percent, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 less than 1 weight percent, and TiO.sub.2 less than 1 weight percent. In some cases, the composition may be substantially free of Li.sub.2O. In some cases, the composition may include Li.sub.2O up to 0.5 weight percent. In some cases, RE.sub.2O.sub.3 may be present in the composition in an amount up to 1.5 weight percent. The glass compositions can be used to form glass fibers which can be incorporated into a variety of other fiber glass products (e.g., strands, rovings, fabrics, etc.) and incorporated into various composites.

An insulating product includes mineral fibers of aluminosilicate glass including aluminum oxide, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, in a fraction by weight of between 14% and 28%, that are sized with a sizing composition including the following constituents within the limits defined below, expressed as fractions by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition: from 80% to 98% of water, from 2% to 20% of water-soluble poly(furfuryl alcohol), which is obtained by polycondensation of furfuryl alcohol, and less than 0.5% of furfuryl alcohol, wherein a sum of the fractions by weight of the poly (furfuryl alcohol) and of the water is at least 95%, and wherein the sizing composition applied to the mineral fibres has a pH in a range from 5 to 8.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing water treated man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) comprising:

a. providing a mineral melt,

b. providing a fiberizing apparatus,

c. fiberizing the mineral melt to form man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF),

d. collecting the MMVF, and thereafter

e. applying about 0.1 wt % to about 1 wt % water, based on the weight of the MMVF, to the MMVF to form water treated MMVF.