INSULATION PRODUCTS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of making an insulation product and a novel insulation product, wherein the insulation product is made by adhering a facing to at least one major surface of a batt of man-made vitreous fibres in a matrix comprising a binder by the use of an adhesive and curing the adhesive. The adhesive is an aqueous composition which comprises a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

Claims

1. A method of making an insulation product, the method comprising: providing a batt of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) in a matrix comprising a binder, wherein the batt of man-made vitreous fibres comprises at least one major surface; providing a facing; fixing the facing to at least one major surface of the batt of man-made vitreous fibres by the use of an adhesive; and curing the adhesive, wherein the adhesive is an aqueous adhesive composition comprising: a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facing is selected from woven or non-woven glass fibre veils or fabrics, scrims, rovings, glass fibre silks, glass filament fabrics, spunbonded polyester webs, vapour membranes, vapour barriers, roof underlay foils and housewraps.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facing is a non-woven glass veil having an area weight in the range of 30 to 150 g/m.sup.2.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facing is a mineral coated non-woven glass veil having an area weight in the range of 150 to 350 g/m.sup.2.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facing is a glass fibre silk or glass filament fabric having an area weight in the range of 90 to 180 g/m.sup.2.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the facing has at least one major surface and the method comprises applying adhesive to a major surface of the facing and/or the batt, and then applying said major surface of the facing to a major surface of the batt of man-made vitreous fibres.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising applying the adhesive by spraying.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of curing the adhesive is carried out at a temperature of from 100 to 300° C., preferably 170 to 270° C., preferably 180 to 250° C., preferably 190 to 230° C.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of fixing the facing to at least one major surface of the batt is carried out when the binder for the MMVF is uncured, and the step of curing the adhesive also cures the binder in the matrix of MMVF.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of fixing the facing to at least one major surface of the batt is carried out after curing the binder for the MMVF.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the batt has a density in the range of 20 to 200 kg/m.sup.3.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the loss on ignition (LOI) of the batt of man-made vitreous fibres bonded by the binder is within the range of 0.5 to 8 wt %, preferably 2 to 5 wt %.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the insulation product has a thickness in the range of 20 to 400 mm.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is applied in an amount of 40 to 400 g/m.sup.2, preferably 50 to 200 g/m.sup.2, more preferably 60 to 150 g/m.sup.2 of a liquid adhesive.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises applying a coating to the facing after fixing the facing to the batt.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the insulation product is selected from the group consisting of an external façade, a ventilated façade, an interior ceiling insulation product, an interior wall insulation product, a roof insulation product, a ventilation duct or channel acoustic absorption product.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder in the batt of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) is a binder composition which prior to curing is an aqueous composition comprising: a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

18. A method of making an insulation product, the method comprising: providing a batt of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) in a matrix comprising uncured binder, wherein the batt of man-made vitreous fibres comprises at least one major surface; providing a facing; applying the facing to at least one major surface of the batt of man-made vitreous fibres; and curing the binder so as to fix the facing to the major surface, wherein the binder is an aqueous binder composition comprising: a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the facing is selected from woven or non-woven glass fibre veils or fabrics, scrims, rovings, glass fibre silks, glass filament fabrics, spunbonded polyester webs, vapour membranes, vapour barriers, roof underlay foils and housewraps.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of curing the binder is carried out at a temperature of from 100 to 300° C., preferably 170 to 270° C., preferably 180 to 250° C., preferably 190 to 230° C.

21. An insulation product obtained by the method according to claim 1.

22. An insulation product comprising an insulation element which is a batt of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a binder, wherein the batt of man-made vitreous fibres comprises at least one major surface, and comprising a facing, wherein the facing is fixed to at least one major surface of the insulation element by an adhesive, wherein the adhesive before curing is an aqueous adhesive composition comprising: a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein component (i) is in form of one or more ammonia-oxidized lignins (AOL's).

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component (ii) comprises one or more cross-linkers selected from β-hydroxyalkylamide-cross-linkers and/or oxazoline-cross-linkers.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component (ii) comprises one or more cross-linkers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene imine, polyvinyl amine, fatty amines; and/or one more cross-linkers in form of fatty amides; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from the group consisting of dimethoxyethanal, glycolaldehyde, glyoxalic acid; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from polyester polyols, such as polycaprolactone; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from the group consisting of starch, modified starch, CMC; and/or one or more cross-linkers in form of aliphatic multifunctional carbodiimides; and/or one or more cross-linkers selected from melamine based cross-linkers, such as a hexakis(methylmethoxy)melamine (HMMM) based cross-linkers.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous adhesive and/or binder composition comprises component (ii) in an amount of 1 to 40 wt.-%, such as 4 to 20 wt.-%, such as 6 to 12 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of component (i).

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein component (iii) comprises one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol ethers, polyethers, hydrogenated sugars, phthalates and/or acids, such as adipic acid, vanillic acid, lactic acid and/or ferullic acid, acrylic polymers, polyvinyl alcohol, polyurethane dispersions, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, lactones, lactams, lactides, acrylic based polymers with free carboxy groups and/or polyurethane dispersions with free carboxy groups.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein component (iii) comprises one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohols, monohydroxy alcohols, such as pentanol, stearyl alcohol; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of alkoxylates such as ethoxylates, such as butanol ethoxylates, such as butoxytriglycol; and/or one or more plasticizers in form of propylene glycols; and/or one or more plasticizers in form of glycol esters; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of adipates, acetates, benzoates, cyclobenzoates, citrates, stearates, sorbates, sebacates, azelates, butyrates, valerates; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of phenol derivatives, such as alkyl or aryl substituted phenols; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of silanols, siloxanes; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of sulfates such as alkyl sulfates, sulfonates such as alkyl aryl sulfonates such as alkyl and/or sulfonates, phosphates such as tripolyphosphates; and/or one or more plasticizers in form of hydroxy acids; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of monomeric amides, such as acetamides, benzamide, fatty acid amides such as tall oil amides; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium compounds such as trimethylglycine, distearyldimethylammoniumchloride; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils such as castor oil, palm oil, linseed oil, tall oil, soybean oil; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of hydrogenated oils, acetylated oils; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from acid methyl esters; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of alkyl polyglucosides, gluconamides, aminoglucoseamides, sucrose esters, sorbitan esters; and/or one or more plasticizers selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol ethers.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component (iii) is present in the aqueous adhesive and/or binder composition in an amount of 0.5 to 50, preferably 2.5 to 25, more preferably 3 to 15 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of component (i).

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous adhesive and/or binder composition comprises a further component (iv) in form of one or more coupling agents, such as organofunctional silanes.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous adhesive and/or binder composition further comprises a component (v) in form of one or more components selected from the group of ammonia, amines or any salts thereof.

32. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous adhesive and/or binder composition comprises a further component in form of urea, in particular in an amount 5 to 40 wt.-%, such as 10 to 30 wt.-%, such as 15 to 25 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of component (i).

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein aqueous adhesive composition consists essentially of a component (i) in form of one or more oxidized lignins; a component (ii) in form of one or more cross-linkers; a component (iii) in form of one or more plasticizers; a component (iv) in form of one or more coupling agents, such as organofunctional silanes; optionally a component in form of one or more compounds selected from the group of ammonia, amines or any salts thereof; optionally a component in form of urea; optionally a component in form of a more reactive or non-reactive silicones; optionally a hydrocarbon oil; optionally one or more surface active agents; water.

Description

FIGURES

[0554] FIG. 1 shows a section from a possible lignin structure.

[0555] FIG. 2 shows examples of lignin precursors and common inter-unit linkages.

[0556] FIG. 3 shows the at least four groups of technical lignins available in the market.

[0557] FIG. 4 shows a summary of the properties of some technical lignins.

[0558] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an insulation product according to the invention;

[0559] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a method of the invention prior to the curing oven stage.

[0560] FIG. 5 shows an insulation product 1 formed by an MMVF batt 2. On its underside the batt is provided with a first facing 3. The first facing 3 can have moisture-proof properties. The facing 3 is connected by means of an adhesive layer 4 to the MMVF batt 2. In this particular embodiment, although not essential 1S in the invention, on its top side the MMVF batt 2 is provided with a layer 5 of adhesive. This adhesive layer 5 is used to fix the insulation product onto the objects to be insulated. So as to facilitate storage and transport, a removable second facing 6 provided with a layer of heat-stable silicone material is arranged on adhesive layer 5. It is noted here that the adhesive layer extends a short distance from the edge of the insulation product in order to facilitate detaching of the cover sheet.

[0561] Production of such an insulation product can proceed as follows, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0562] An MMVF batt 2 is made by air-laying a MMVF web with binder and consolidating it (not shown). Starting from this MMVF batt 2 supplied via a conveyor belt formed by rollers 7, a quantity of adhesive is initially supplied by means of an atomizing device 11 provided with nozzles and sprayed in the form of an aqueous composition as defined in the invention onto a first facing 3, provided from a roller, which in this case is flexible and can for instance take the form of a layer of woven or non-woven glass veil, fabric, foil, plastic or a combination thereof. The first facing 3 is arranged on the underside of the MMVF batt 2 by means of a roller 10.

[0563] A second facing layer 6 in the form of heat-stable silicone PE foil is subsequently arranged on the upper side of the MMVF batt 2 by means of a roller 9. As described for the facing layer 3, and again starting from the MMVF batt 2 supplied via conveyor belt of rollers 7, adhesive 4 of the adhesive layer 5 used to fix the insulation product onto the objects to be insulated is applied by means of spray device 8 onto a major surface of batt 2.

[0564] The adhesive for the first facing 3 and the binder for the MMVF matrix are subsequently cured in conventional manner by passing the MMVF batt through a curing oven (not shown).

EXAMPLES

[0565] Testing was undertaken to determine the peel strength of a glass veil that had been applied to an MMVF acoustic element using an adhesive as required by claim 1. The insulation product was an insulation product used for flat roof insulation products having the properties defined in Table 1 below:

TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 1 Density of batt of Loss of ignition MMVF in a matrix of the batt of comprising binder MMVF bonded Binder kg/m.sup.3 by the binder % compostion Glass veil 145 3.8 See betails I50U (Ownes below Corning). Base weight 50 g/m2, binder content 18% (modified urea formaldehyde resin)

[0566] Determination of LOI (binder content) is performed according to DS/EN13820:2003 Determination of organic content, where the binder content is defined as the quantity of organic material burnt away at a given temperature, here using (590±20° C.) for at least 10 min or more until constant mass. Determination of ignition loss consists of at least 10 g wool corresponding to 8-20 cut-outs (minimum 8 cut-outs) performed evenly distributed over the test specimen using a cork borer ensuring to comprise an entire product thickness.

[0567] Peel strength is determined as follows:

[0568] Veil adhesion measurement is made using a 5 cm wide metal punch and a small manual weight with a hook [g].

[0569] Measuring method:

[0570] Place the product on an even flat surface,

[0571] Using a cutter, cut the surface of the veil for a length of approx. 50 cm, Attach the torn end to the grip of a dynamometer and pull.

[0572] At the same time the maximum and minimum scale deflection should be read.

[0573] Results

TABLE-US-00011 Length Cross direction direction (g) (g) Board A 151 1 B 141 C 145 D 103 Board A 252 2 B 116 C 101 D 134 Average 159 127

[0574] It is generally considered that a peel strength at least 100 g is necessary for commercial production. It can be seen that the products of the invention comfortably meet that standard.

[0575] Details of Binder Composition:

[0576] 3267 kg of water is charged in 6000 l reactor followed by 287 kg of ammonia water (24.7%). Then 1531 kg of Lignin UPM BioPiva 100 is slowly added over a period of 30 min to 45 min. The mixture is heated to 40° C. and kept at that temperature for 1 hour. After 1 hour a check is made on insolubilized lignin. This can be made by checking the solution on a glass plate or a Hegman gauge.

[0577] Insolubilized lignin is seen as small particles in the brown binder. During the dissolution step the lignin solution will change color from brown to shiny black.

[0578] After the lignin is completely dissolved, 1 liter of a foam dampening agent (Skumdæper 11-10 from NCÅ-Verodan) is added. Temperature of the batch is maintained at 40° C.

[0579] Then addition of 307.5 kg 35% hydrogen peroxide is started. The hydrogen peroxide is dosed at a rate of 200-300 liter/hour. First half of the hydrogen peroxide is added at a rate of 200 l/h where after the dosage rate is increased to 300 liter/hour.

[0580] During the addition of hydrogen peroxide the temperature in the reaction mixture is controlled by heating or cooling in such a way that a final reaction temperature of 65° C. is reached.

[0581] After 15 min reaction at 65° C. the reaction mixture is cooled to a temperature below 50° C. Hereby a resin is obtained having a COOH value of 1.2 mmol/g solids.

[0582] From this ammonia oxidized lignin (AOL) resin, a binder was formulated by addition of 270 kg polyethylene glycol 200 and 281 kg of a 31% solution of Primid XL-552 (a β-hydroxyalkylamide) in water.