Fiber mat having improved tensile strength and process for making same
A fiber mat of improved tensile strength and a process of making same is disclosed. The fiber mat comprises: fibers; a resinous fiber binder; and a urethane binder modifier.
1 . A fiber mat for use in a building material, said mat comprising:
a plurality of fibers;
a resinous fiber binder, said fibers fixedly distributed in said binder; and
a urethane modifier comprising from about 0.1 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, based on the weight of said binder.
2 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said urethane modifier comprises a polyurethane modifier.
3 . The fiber mat of claim 2 , wherein said polyurethane modifier is selected from the group consisting of: an aliphatic polyurethane, an aromatic polyurethane, and a hybrid polyurethane.
4 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said fiber binder comprises a formaldehyde type binder.
5 . The fiber mat of claim 4 , wherein said formaldehyde type binder is selected from the group consisting of: a urea/formaldehyde binder, a phenol/formaldehyde binder, and a melamine/formaldehyde binder.
6 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of said fiber binder to said urethane modifier is in the range of from about 200:1 to about 4:1.
7 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , said mat containing from about 55 wt. % to about 98 wt. % fiber and from about 0.05 wt. % to about 45 wt. % fiber binder.
8 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said fibers comprise glass fibers.
9 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , said mat containing from about 55 wt. % to about 98 wt. % glass fiber and from about 15 wt. % to about 30 wt. % fiber binder.
10 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , further comprising an asphalt coating on at least one surface of said mat, said mat having a tensile strength greater than about 1,000 psi.
11 . A fibrous mat roofing shingle, comprising:
a plurality of glass fibers; and
a fixative composition comprising a fiber binder and between about 0.1 wt. % and about 50 wt. %, based on the weight of said binder, of a polyurethane modifier, wherein said fibers are fixedly distributed in said fixative composition.
12 . The fibrous mat of claim 11 , wherein the concentration of the fiber binder, based on the weight of the fibrous mat, is in the range of from about 0.05 wt. % and about 45 wt. %.
13 . The fibrous mat of claim 11 , wherein said glass fibers comprise a plurality of glass filaments having an average length of from about ¼ to about 3 inches and a diameter of from about 1 to about 50 microns.
14 . The fibrous mat of claim 11 , wherein the concentration of said glass filaments is between about 55 and about 98 wt. %.
15 . The fibrous mat of claim 11 , wherein said polyurethane modifier is selected from the group consisting of: an aliphatic polyurethane, an aromatic polyurethane, and a hybrid polyurethane.
16 . A process of making a fiber mat for use in a building material, said process comprising the steps of:
(a) forming an aqueous fiber slurry;
(b) removing water from the fiber slurry to form a wet fiber mat;
(c) saturating the wet fiber mat with an aqueous solution of a fiber binder and a polyurethane modifier; and
(d) drying and curing the wet fiber mat to form a fiber mat product.
17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the weight ratio of the fiber binder to the polyurethane modifier is in the range of from about 200:1 to about 4:1.
18 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the modifier of step (c) is combined in water with the fiber binder of step (c) to form the aqueous solution.
19 . The process of claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
(e) coating at least one surface of the fiber mat product with a layer of roofing asphalt,
wherein the fiber mat product has a tensile strength greater than about 1,000 psi.
20 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the aqueous fiber slurry further comprises a fiber dispersing agent.