Low density non-woven material useful with acoustic ceiling tile products
View Patent ↗A non-woven material, that can be formed into an acoustic ceiling tile, is provided. The material includes a substantially planar and self-supporting core of an inorganic base fiber and a synthetic thermal bonding fiber. The synthetic thermal bonding fiber preferably has an increased bonding surface area that improves adhesion and porosity to provide a base mat or core with a low density to provide sound absorption required by an acoustic ceiling tile.
1. A method of forming an acoustic ceiling tile comprising:
preparing an aqueous slurry that includes synthetic thermal bonding fibers and inorganic base fibers, the synthetic thermal bonding fibers having a plurality of microbranches extending from outer surfaces thereof to provide a bonding surface area;
forming the aqueous slurry into a non-woven material having a substantially planar and self-supporting core of up to about 7 pcf to about 13 pcf; and
forming the core into the acoustic ceiling tile to exhibit a noise reduction coefficient of at least about 0.55.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous slurry has a core solids content from about 1 percent to about 15 percent by weight.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous slurry is blended at a temperature of about 30° C. to about 70° C.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic thermal bonding fibers have an average fiber length of about 3 mm or less, an average fiber diameter of about 30 microns or less, and the bonding surface area is at least about 0.5 m 2 /gram to about 12 m 2 /gram.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic thermal bonding fibers comprise substantially hydrophobic thermal bonding fibers.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the substantially hydrophobic thermal bonding fibers have a hydrophilic surface sufficient to permit dispersion in the aqueous slurry.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the synthetic thermal bonding fibers comprise substantially hydrophobic thermal bonding fibers.