Apparatus and method for treating materials with compositions

1. A method for treating subject materials with compositions, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an apparatus having a material treatment section and a neutralizing section different from the material treatment section;

treating a subject material in the material treatment section with a composition comprising a silane-containing material and a hydrocarbon solvent and forming a treated material, wherein HCI is present in the treated material as a by-product of treatment;

exposing the subject material to steam, the steam optionally including a neutralizing agent; and

wherein the steam is passed through at least a portion of the subject material to cause hydration of the subject material, heating of the subject material, and reaction of any latent silane-containing material; and

wherein the neutralizing agent can neutralize the HCI in the treated material in the neutralizing section such that the treated material has a pH in a range of approximately 7 to approximately 8.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of removing at least one of moisture, hydrocarbon solvent, or byproduct of reaction from the treated material in a removal section of the apparatus.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of providing a feeding section for the apparatus and feeding the subject material to the material treatment section.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said feeding section comprises a feeder to feed a roll of the subject material to the material treatment section.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of providing a collecting section for the apparatus and collecting the treated material.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 including the step of collecting the treated material with a collector in the collecting section.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of providing a drying section for the apparatus and drying the treated material.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of providing a composition section for the apparatus and forming the composition.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of applying the composition to the subject material with an applicator in the material treatment section.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of applying comprises applying a liquid composition to the subject material with a liquid applicator.

11. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of applying comprises applying a vapor composition to the subject material with a vapor applicator.

12. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the neutralizing agent comprises an added base.

13. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein the added base comprises ammonia.

14. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of removing excess hydrocarbon solvent for the treated material in a removal section of the apparatus.

15. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of removing a byproduct of reaction for the treated material in a removal section of the apparatus.

16. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of drying the treated material.

17. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of forming the composition.

18. A method for treating subject materials with compositions, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an apparatus having a material treatment section and a neutralizing section different from the material treatment section;

feeding a subject material to the material treatment section;

treating the subject material in the material treatment section with a composition comprising a silane-containing material and a solvent and forming a treated material, wherein HCI is present in the treated material as a by-product of treatment;

exposing the subject material to steam that includes an added base; and

wherein the steam is passed through at least a portion of the subject material to cause hydration of the subject material, heating of the subject material, and reaction of any latent silane-containing material; and

wherein the added base can neutralize the HCI in the treated material in the neutralizing section such that the treated material has a pH in a range of approximately 7 to approximately 8; and

collecting the treated material.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 including the step of removing moisture, hydrocarbon solvent, or byproduct of reaction from the treated material.