Glass-fiber mats for lead-acid batteries are described. The glass-fiber mats may include a plurality of glass fibers held together with a binder. The binder may be made from a binder composition that includes (i) an acid resistant polymer, and (ii) a hydrophilic agent. The hydrophilic agent increases the wettability of the glass-fiber mat such that the glass-fiber mat forms a contact angle with water or aqueous sulfuric acid solution of 70° or less. Also described are methods of making the glass-fiber mats that include applying a binder composition to the glass fibers, and including a hydrophilic agent in the glass fiber mat that increases the wettability of the mat. The hydrophilic agent may be added to the binder composition, applied to the glass-fiber mat, or both.

Glass-fiber mats for lead-acid batteries are described. The glass-fiber mats may include a plurality of glass fibers held together with a binder. The binder may be made from a binder composition that includes (i) an acid resistant polymer, and (ii) a hydrophilic agent. The hydrophilic agent increases the wettability of the glass-fiber mat such that the glass-fiber mat forms a contact angle with water or aqueous sulfuric acid solution of 70° or less. Also described are methods of making the glass-fiber mats that include applying a binder composition to the glass fibers, and including a hydrophilic agent in the glass fiber mat that increases the wettability of the mat. The hydrophilic agent may be added to the binder composition, applied to the glass-fiber mat, or both.

A process for the manufacture of a degradable polycyanurate bulk molding composition includes: contacting a liquid cyanate ester monomer with an additive material and a polymerization catalyst to form a reaction mixture; maintaining a temperature of the reaction mixture at about 80° C. to about 100° C. to form a polycyanurate product having a viscosity of about 120 to about 200 centipoise at 23° C.; heating a reinforcing filler at a temperature of about 50 to about 150° C. to form a pre-heated reinforcing filler; and blending the polycyanurate product with the pre-heated reinforcing filler to form the degradable polycyanurate bulk molding composition. The bulk molding composition can be used to form a degradable polycyanurate article.

A chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet includes a web or mesh of chopped rovings and a thermoplastic resin that fully saturates the web or mesh of chopped rovings. The web or mesh of chopped rovings is not mechanically bonded and does not include a binder that bonds or adheres the chopped rovings together other than thermoplastic resin. As such, the thermoplastic resin and the web or mesh of chopped rovings are able to flow and conform to a mold or cavity when the chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet is pressed within the mold or cavity and when the chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet is heated to above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin.

A chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet includes a web or mesh of chopped rovings and a thermoplastic resin that fully saturates the web or mesh of chopped rovings. The web or mesh of chopped rovings is not mechanically bonded and does not include a binder that bonds or adheres the chopped rovings together other than thermoplastic resin. As such, the thermoplastic resin and the web or mesh of chopped rovings are able to flow and conform to a mold or cavity when the chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet is pressed within the mold or cavity and when the chopped roving thermoplastic composite sheet is heated to above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic resin.

A method of making a filtering face piece respirator, which method includes: providing a cup shaped mold 20; providing a forming chamber 24 where the mold 20 is located and where loose fibers 22 are introduced into air in the forming chamber 24; causing the loose fibers 22 to be accumulated 10 on the mold 20 in the forming chamber 24; and bonding 12 the accumulated fibers to each other at points of fiber intersection, The inventive method thus is beneficial in that it eliminates steps in the manufacturing process. The fibers also are uniformly distributed throughout the mask body, and because the webs do not have to be cut during respirator manufacture, less web waste is generated.

A method of making a filtering face piece respirator, which method includes: providing a cup shaped mold 20; providing a forming chamber 24 where the mold 20 is located and where loose fibers 22 are introduced into air in the forming chamber 24; causing the loose fibers 22 to be accumulated 10 on the mold 20 in the forming chamber 24; and bonding 12 the accumulated fibers to each other at points of fiber intersection, The inventive method thus is beneficial in that it eliminates steps in the manufacturing process. The fibers also are uniformly distributed throughout the mask body, and because the webs do not have to be cut during respirator manufacture, less web waste is generated.

A repulpable insulated container assembly having a container formed of paper such as corrugated cardboard or varying paper materials and defining an interior; and a repulpable insert placed within the interior of the container and formed of a first paper layer; and a paper fiber pad coupled to the first paper layer.

A molded object includes: a first layer formed using a fiber-reinforced resin material including thermoplastic resin and strip-shaped reinforcement fiber bundles each composed of a plurality of reinforcement fibers aligned unidirectionally, the strip-shaped reinforcement fiber bundles being three-dimensionally and randomly stacked; and a second layer made of a fiber-reinforced resin material including thermoplastic resin and reinforcement fibers of filaments, and formed on at least one surface of the first layer.

Chopped fiber composite systems and methods are disclosed. Sorting systems include a conveyor, an imager, a plurality of receptacles, a pneumatic device, and controller. Molding systems include a conveyor, an imager, a mold, a pneumatic device, and a controller. The controller directs the pneumatic device to alter the freefall of chopped fiber composite pieces based on characteristics of the chopped fiber composite pieces as they drop from the conveyor and into a receptacle or a mold. Sorting and molding methods include dropping chopped fiber composite pieces, detecting characteristics of the dropping pieces, and directing the pieces based on the detected characteristics.