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 silane modified polymer which including a polymer containing silane functionality.
1 . A fiber mat comprising:
a resinous fiber binder:
a plurality of fibers, said fibers fixedly distributed in said binder; and
a silane modified polymer 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 silane modified polymer comprises a polymer containing silane functionality.
3 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said silane modified polymer is selected from the group consisting of silane-acrylate copolymer, silane-methylacrylate copolymer, silane-styrene copolymer, silane-styrene-acrylate terpolymer, silane-styene-methylmethacrylate terpolymer, silane-acylate-vinyl acetate terpolymer, silane-methylmethacrylate-vinyl acetate terpolymer, and their derivatives or mixtures.
4 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said resinous 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 resinous fiber binder to said silane modified polymer is in the range from about 200:1 to about 4:1.
7 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said mat contains from about 55 wt. % to about 98 wt. % of said fibers and from about 0.05 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of said resinous fiber binder.
8 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said fibers comprise glass fibers.
9 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , wherein said mat contains from about 55 wt. % to about 98 wt. % glass fibers and from about 15 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of said resinous fiber binder.
10 . The fiber mat of claim 1 , further comprising an asphalt coating on at least one surface of said mat.
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 silane modified polymer, 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 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 from about ¼ to about 3 inches and a diameter from about 1 to about 50 microns.
14 . The fibrous mat of claim 11 , wherein the concentration of said glass fibers is between about 55 and about 98 wt. %.
15 . The fibrous mat of claim 11 , wherein said silane modified polymer is selected from the group consisting of silane-acrylate copolymer, silane-methylacrylate copolymer, silane-styrene copolymer, silane-styrene-acrylate terpolymer, silane-styene-methylmethacrylate terpolymer, silane-acylate-vinyl acetate terpolymer, silane-methylmethacrylate-vinyl acetate terpolymer, and their derivatives or mixtures.
16 . A process of making a fiber mat 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 silane modified polymer; and
(d) forming a fiber mat product from said wet fiber mat.
17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the weight ratio of the fiber binder to the silane modified polymer is in the range 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.
20 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the aqueous fiber slurry further comprises a fiber dispersing agent.
21 . A binder composition comprising a resinous fiber binder and a binder modifier comprising a silane modified polymer.
22 . The binder composition of claim 21 , wherein the weight ratio of said resinous fiber binder to said silane modified polymer is in the range from about 200:1 to about 4:1.
23 . The binder composition of claim 21 , wherein said silane modified polymer comprises a polymer containing silane functionality.
24 . The binder composition of claim 21 , wherein said silane modified polymer is selected from the group consisting of silane-acrylate copolymer, silane-methylacrylate copolymer, silane-styrene copolymer, silane-styrene-acrylate terpolymer, silane-styene-methylmethacrylate terpolymer, silane-acylate-vinyl acetate terpolymer, silane-methylmethacrylate-vinyl acetate terpolymer, and their derivatives or mixtures.
25 . The binder composition of claim 21 , wherein said resinous fiber binder comprises a formaldehyde type binder.
26 . The binder composition of claim 25 , 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.