A fiber mat includes a unitary assembly of fibers including at least a first set of fibers and at least a first binder comprising an organic resin, wherein the unitary assembly of fibers includes a minority portion and a majority portion different than the minority portion, wherein the fiber mat provides at least a 5% increase in tear when placed in a bituminous roofing product compared to an equivalent bituminous roofing product made with a fiber mat of equivalent weight containing a homogenous mat structure.

A method for manufacturing a mat of inorganic fibers including the manufacture or supply of a mat of inorganic fibers having two major surfaces, which is strengthened with a chemical binder, or by means of a hydrodynamic method, coating of a first major surface of the mat by means of the application of an aqueous solid dispersion on one of the two sides of the mat, drying the coated mat, printing the coated mat by means of rotary printing, digital printing, screen printing, or offset printing on the first major surface of the coating, optional application of a protective layer onto the first major surface, application of a binder, at least partial drying and at least partial crosslinking of the mat to which binder has been applied, and rolling up of the obtained material web, or cutting to size as sheets.

A hydrophobic needle-felted insulation blanket having a textile-grade needle felted fiberglass blanket having a density in the range of 4 to 15 lb/ft3 (65 to 250 g/L) contains a uniform hydrophobic fluoropolymer disposed homogeneously throughout the textile grade needle felted fiberglass blanket without creating a higher density of hydrophobic fluoropolymer near edges of the textile-grade needle felted fiberglass blanket. The fluoropolymer has a melting point over 5500 Fahrenheit and decomposed residual hydrophilic compounds uniformly disposed through the textile grade needle felted fiberglass blanket. The finished hydrophobic needle-felted insulation blanket is (i) temperature stable up to 5500 Fahrenheit, (ii) moldable, (iii) silica dust free, and thereafter retains a selected shape and the finished blanket will not decompose, disintegrate, or lose structural integrity when submerged in water. The finished blanket comprises by weight: 60%-95% glass fiber 2%-30% hydrophobic flouropolymer, and non-decomposed hydrophilic opacifier.

Embodiments of the present technology may include a curable, carbohydrate binder composition. The composition may include a carbohydrate. The composition may also include a urea compound. The composition may further include a nitrogen-containing compound. The nitrogen-containing compound may not be the urea compound.

Textile fabrics consolidated with a binder that is made from a binder system are described. The binder system may include:

a) 30% or less by dry weight of at least one polymer based on polyvinyl alcohol;

b) 70% or more by dry weight of at least one starch, wherein the at least one starch comprises 50% by weight or more of one or more natural starches based on the total weight of the at least one starch;

c) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one crosslinker;

d) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one filler; and

e) 0 to 10% by dry weight of at least one additive,

wherein a sum of components a) through e) is 100% by dry weight of the binder system. Method of making the textile fabrics consolidated with binders made from the binder systems are also described.

Hydrophobic thermal insulation fiberglass flexible blanket using a textile grade fiberglass is produced by impregnating a hydrophobic polymer (e.g. a fluoropolymer) dispersion into a fiberglass blanket/mat, such as a needle felted fiberglass (FG) blanket/mat. The preferred FG needle felt blanket is a mechanically, rather than organically, bound glass fiber insulating blanket. The hydrophobic polymer dispersion forms a hydrophobic coating on the surface of the fiberglass filaments. Integral hydrophobicity is achieved and maintained without the need to add commonly-used hydrophobic inorganic particles, such as treated silica aerogels or fumed silica. Optionally, to enhance overall hydrophobicity and to inhibit fibrous surface lofting, a super-hydrophobic coating of fluoropolymer and inorganic particles such as silica particles may be dispersed onto one or more surfaces of the blanket. The resulting blanket thermally insulates better than mineral wool; it is equal in insulating properties to (or is slightly better than) untreated FG mat; and it slightly less insulating than aerogel-based blanket materials. It is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, it is flexible, it is durable, it can optionally be made moldable, it eliminates dust, and it remains hydrophobic after long-term heating to 600 F. (315 C.), or after short-term excursions to temperatures as high as 700 F. (370 C.).

An aqueous binder composition is disclosed that includes 5.0% by weight to 50.0% by weight of a monomeric polyol having at least four hydroxyl groups, based on the total solids content of the aqueous binder composition; and at least 50.0% by weight of a cross-linking agent comprising a polymeric polycarboxylic acid having at least two carboxylic acid groups, based on the total solids content of the aqueous binder composition. The aqueous binder composition includes a ratio of molar equivalents of carboxylic acid groups to hydroxyl groups is between 0.15/1.0 and 2.23/1 and has a pH of 2.2 to 4.0 and a viscosity at 40% solids and 25 C. of 10 cP to 60 cP.

Disclosed are compositions that can be used in forming products with increased near infrared (IR) reflective capability. A composition can include IR reflective and/or IR transmissive non-white pigments and can be formed with suitable viscosity so as to successfully coat substrates, e.g., yarns, suitable for use in forming coverings for architectural openings, e.g., window coverings. Also disclosed are textile substrates coated with the compositions, including textile substrates coated with compositions that include abrasive, inorganic IR reflective dark pigments.

Some embodiments relate to a roofing material. The roofing material comprises a substrate, and a coating on the substrate. The coating comprises at least a polymer A, a polymer B, and at least one filler. The polymer A, the polymer B, the at least one filler are present in an amount sufficient to result in the coating having: A) a Tear CD property of at least 1000 g-f; and B) at least one of an interpenetrating polymer network, a semi-interpenetrating polymer network, or any combination thereof. Other embodiments relate to additional roofing materials, methods for preparing roofing materials, and the like.

A fiber mat includes an assembly of fibers including a minority portion including a set of polymer fibers and a majority portion including a set of fibers different than the minority portion, wherein the minority portion is a plane parallel to a plane of the majority portion of the assembly of fibers; and a binder including an organic resin, wherein an air permeability of said fiber mat is not substantially different from an equivalent weight fiber mat containing a homogenous mat structure and wherein the fiber mat provides at least a 5% increase in tear when placed in a bituminous roofing product compared to an equivalent bituminous roofing product made with the equivalent weight fiber mat containing the homogenous mat structure.