Hybrid nonwoven mats and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145779-A1
Application number	US-201514941788-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Hybrid nonwoven mats are made by depositing a slurry of fibers and water onto a fibrous web and applying a binder onto the hybrid nonwoven mat formed therefrom. The fibers are sized and present in an amount such that the binder forms a substantially continuous film on the hybrid nonwoven mat. Gypsum panels may be faced with a hybrid nonwoven mat on one or both surfaces.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of making a hybrid nonwoven mat, comprising:
depositing a slurry comprising fibers selected from the group consisting of polymer fibers, natural fibers, glass microfibers, and combinations thereof, and water onto a fibrous web to form a hybrid nonwoven mat; and applying a binder onto the hybrid nonwoven mat to form a binder-coated hybrid nonwoven mat, wherein the fibers are sized and deposited in an amount such that the binder forms a substantially continuous film on the hybrid nonwoven mat.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibers are present in the slurry in an amount from about 0.01 to about 2 percent by weight of the slurry.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibers are deposited onto the fibrous web in an amount from about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of the fibrous web.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramids, polyester, polypropylene, acrylics, nylon, polyolefins, rayon, and combinations thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass microfibers have an average diameter of from about 1 micron to about 7 micron.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the natural fibers are selected from the group consisting of wood pulp, flax, jute, kenaf, hemp ramie, rattan, vine fibers, and combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fibers have an average aspect ratio from about 100 to about 30,000.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the binder-coated hybrid nonwoven mat displays an air permeability of less than 200 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining the binder-coated hybrid nonwoven mat with a gypsum panel material to form a mat-faced gypsum panel.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein combining the binder-coated hybrid nonwoven mat with the gypsum panel material comprises depositing a gypsum slurry onto a fibrous surface of the binder-coated hybrid nonwoven mat.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining the fibrous web with a gypsum panel material to form a mat-faced gypsum panel prior to depositing the slurry onto the fibrous web or prior to applying the binder onto the hybrid nonwoven mat.

12 . A hybrid nonwoven mat, comprising:
a nonwoven fibrous mat; fibers selected from the group consisting of polymer fibers, natural fibers, glass microfibers, and combinations thereof, dispersed on the nonwoven fibrous mat in a nonwoven configuration; and a binder coating a surface of the fibers opposite the nonwoven fibrous mat, wherein the fibers are sized and present in an amount such that the binder forms a substantially continuous film.

13 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein the fibers are present in an amount from about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of the fibrous mat.

14 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein the polymer fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramids, polyester, polypropylene, acrylics, nylon, polyolefins, rayon, and combinations thereof.

15 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein the glass microfibers have an average diameter of from about 1 micron to about 7 micron.

16 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein the natural fibers are selected from the group consisting of wood pulp, flax, jute, kenaf, hemp ramie, rattan, vine fibers, and combinations thereof.

17 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein the fibers have an average aspect ratio from about 100 to about 30,000.

18 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein the hybrid nonwoven mat displays an air permeability of less than 200 ft 3 /ft 2 /min.

19 . The hybrid nonwoven mat of claim 12 , wherein mat fibers of the fibrous mat are glass fibers having an average diameter from about 9 to about 17 microns and an average length from about ¼ inch to about 1.5 inch.

20 . A gypsum panel, comprising:
a gypsum core having two surfaces, wherein at least one of the surfaces is faced with a hybrid nonwoven mat that comprises:
a nonwoven fibrous mat,
fibers selected from the group consisting of polymer fibers, natural fibers, glass microfibers, and combinations thereof, dispersed on the nonwoven fibrous mat in a nonwoven configuration, and
a binder coating a surface of the fibers layer opposite the nonwoven fibrous mat,
wherein the fibers are sized and present in an amount such that the binder forms a substantially continuous film.

Assignees

• Georgia Pacific Gypsum Llc

Inventors

• Teng Yi-Hsien Harry
• Sanders Christopher J

Classifications

• D04H1/4218 Primary

  Glass fibres · CPC title

• D04H1/43838

  Ultrafine fibres, e.g. microfibres · CPC title

• B32B13/14

  next to a fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title

• E04C2/22

  reinforced {(E04C2/205 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• D04H1/4374

  using different kinds of webs, e.g. by layering webs · CPC title