System and method for the production of gypsum board using starch pellets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902656-B2
Application number	US-201414537646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Sep 14, 2011
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for the production of gypsum board using starch pellets. In accordance with the present disclosure, the starch necessary for board formation is provided in the form of starch pellets. These pellets are mixed with a gypsum slurry in a mixer. The pellets are initially insoluble and do not dissolve. However, during subsequent drying stages, the pellets become soluble and dissolve into the gypsum phase. This both provides the desired starch component and also results in the formation of voids within the set gypsum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for the production of lightweight gypsum board, the system comprising:
a board production line having upstream and downstream ends, the production line including two supply rolls for first and second facing sheets;
a first supply of starch pellets;
a second supply of stucco;
a mixer for combining the starch pellets and the stucco with water to form a slurry, the mixer blending the pellets and the slurry such that the pellets become fully encapsulated within the slurry, the mixer including an outlet for depositing the blended pellets and slurry between the first and second facing sheets to create a panel.

2. The system as described in claim 1 further comprising a series of board dryers located downstream of the production line for drying the panel.

3. The system as described in claim 2 wherein drying the panel within the dryers causes the pellets to dissolve and the gypsum slurry to set, whereby the dissolved pellets provide starch to the gypsum slurry and create voids within the set gypsum.

Assignees

• Certainteed Gypsum Inc

Inventors

• College John W
• Libunao Shane
• Harris Mark

Classifications

• B29C44/326

  Joining the preformed parts, e.g. to make flat or profiled sandwich laminates · CPC title

• B32B38/164

  Drying · CPC title

• C04B28/14

  containing calcium sulfate cements {(gypsum-paper plates E04C)} · CPC title

• B32B2607/00

  Walls, panels · CPC title

• B32B2305/30

  Fillers, e.g. particles, powders, beads, flakes, spheres, chips · CPC title