LOW AND ULTRA-LOW FORMALDEHYDE EMISSION BINDERS FOR NON-WOVEN GLASS MAT
Non-woven glass mats and methods of making and using the same are provided. The mats include chopped glass fibers and a curable binder disposed on the glass fibers. The binder contains a modified soy protein and exhibits low to ultra-low or negligible formaldehyde emissions.
1 . A non-woven mat comprising:
(a) chopped glass fibers; and
(b) a binder containing at least about 10% by dry weight of a waterborne soy protein.
2 . The mat of claim 1 wherein said waterborne soy protein binder comprises a modified soy polymer.
3 . A method of using the mat of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises incorporating the mat into one of a roofing shingle, a drywall facer, a duct board liner, an insulation facer, a carpet backing, built up roofing, and an air filter.
4 . A method of manufacturing a non-woven mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying said chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) cross-linking said waterborne soy protein-containing binder with an external cross-linking agent;
(c) applying said waterborne soy protein-containing binder to said chopped glass fibers; and
(d) curing said chopped glass fibers and said waterborne soy protein-containing binder to form a mat.
5 . The method of claim 4 wherein said external cross-linking agent comprises a reagent that will cross-link polyol or polyamine functionality.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein said external cross-linking agent is one of a TACT triazine, an epoxy silane, a zirconium ammonium carbonate, a glyoxal, a water dispersed blocked isocyanate, a water dispersible epoxy, and a water dispensable isocyanate.
7 . The method of claim 4 wherein said external cross-linking agent comprises an agent that cures organic acid functionality.
8 . The method of claim 7 wherein said external cross-linking agent is one of a carbodiimide, an aziridine, a water dispersible epoxy, an epoxy silane, and a water dispersed oxazoline.
9 . A method of manufacturing a non-woven mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) adding a modified soy polymer to a urea formaldehyde binder;
(c) applying said modified soy polymer and urea formaldehyde binder to said chopped glass fibers; and
(d) curing said chopped glass fibers, said modified soy polymer, and said urea formaldehyde binder to form a mat, wherein the mat exhibits formaldehyde emissions less than about 40 micrograms per square meter of mat per hour per gram of binder at 23° C. and 50% relative humidity, at about 24 hours after manufacture.
10 . A method of manufacturing a non-woven mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) cross-linking a soy protein-containing binder with a cross-linking polymer;
(c) applying said soy protein-containing binder to the chopped glass fibers; and
(d) curing said chopped glass fibers and said soy protein-containing binder into a mat.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the cross-linking polymer is polyamidoamide epichlorohydrin.
12 . A binder composition for use in manufacturing building construction materials, the composition comprising:
(a) a urea formaldehyde binder; and
(b) at least about 10% by dry weight modified soy polymer.
13 . A method of manufacturing a non-woven mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying randomly-oriented chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) applying the binder composition of claim 12 to the chopped glass fibers; and
(c) curing the chopped glass fibers and the composition to form a non-woven mat.
14 . A binder composition for use in manufacturing building construction materials, the composition comprising:
(a) a modified soy polymer; and
(b) a cross-linking agent, wherein a formaldehyde emission of the composition is less than 50% relative to an unmodified urea formaldehyde based mat of the same construction per square meter of mat per hour per gram of binder at 23° C. and 50% relative humidity, at about 24 hours after manufacture.
15 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein said cross-linking agent is a cross-linking polymer.
16 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein said cross-linking polymer is polyamidoamide epichlorohydrin.
17 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein said cross-linking agent is a reagent reactive with polyol, polyamine, and polyamide functionality.
18 . The composition of claim 17 , wherein said cross-linking agent is one of a TACT triazine, an epoxy silane, a zirconium ammonium carbonate, a glyoxal, a water dispersed blocked isocyanate, a water dispersible epoxy, and a water dispersible isocyanate.
19 . The composition of claim 14 , wherein the cross-linking agent comprises an agent that cures organic acid functionality.
20 . The composition of claim 19 , wherein the cross-linker is one of carbodiimide, an aziridine, a water dispersible epoxy, an epoxy silane, and a water dispersible oxazoline.
21 . A method of making a mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) applying the binder composition of claim 14 to the chopped glass fibers; and
(c) curing the chopped glass fibers and the composition to form a non-woven mat.
22 . A method of manufacturing a non-woven mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) adding a modified soy polymer to a urea formaldehyde binder;
(c) applying said modified soy polymer and urea formaldehyde binder to said chopped glass fibers; and
(d) curing said chopped glass fibers, said modified soy polymer, and said urea formaldehyde binder to form a mat, wherein the mat exhibits a formaldehyde emission which is less than 30% of formaldehyde per gram of binder at 250° C. for five minutes relative to an unmodified urea formaldehyde based mat of the same construction.
23 . A method of manufacturing a non-woven mat, the method comprising:
(a) applying chopped glass fibers to a surface;
(b) adding a modified soy polymer to a urea formaldehyde binder;
(c) applying said modified soy polymer and urea formaldehyde binder to said chopped glass fibers; and
(d) curing said chopped glass fibers, said modified soy polymer, and said urea formaldehyde binder to form a mat, wherein the mat exhibits a formaldehyde emission which is less than 50% by weight formaldehyde per gram of binder relative to an unmodified urea formaldehyde based mat of the same construction during 10 minutes of curing at 180° C.