IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,080,133
Granted Patent B2
US 8,080,133 · App. 13/080,263 · Granted Dec 20, 2011

Panels including renewable components and methods for manufacturing

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,080,133
App. No.
13/080,263
Granted
Dec 20, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A panel includes about 0.1% to about 95% by weight of a renewable component. The panel has at least one of a CAC value of at least about 25, an NRC value of at least about 0.25 and an STC of at least about 25. A method for manufacturing such panels is also provided.

Claims (16)

1. A method for manufacture of a building panel, the method comprising the steps of:

forming an aqueous slurry including an inorganic fiber component, starch, water and a renewable component;

forming a base mat on a foraminous wire from said aqueous slurry;

removing water from said base mat; and

finishing said dewatered base mat to form a panel, the panel including about 0.1% to about 95% renewable component based on the weight of the panel after water removal and wherein the panel has at least one of a Ceiling Attenuation Class value of at least about 25, a Noise Reduction Coefficient value of about 0.25 and a Sound Transmission Class value of at least about 25.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said renewable component comprises rice hulls.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sizing said renewable component.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said sizing step comprises sieving.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising milling before said sizing step.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said finishing step comprises at least one of grinding, coating, perforating, fissuring, edge detailing, laminating, drying and packaging.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising reducing the renewable component in size prior to forming the aqueous slurry.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said reducing step comprises at least one of comminuting, shredding, grinding, milling and sieving the renewable component.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising sorting the renewable component that has been reduced in size to obtain a desirable particle size distribution.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising re-processing the fraction that is too large to be used in the slurry.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the dewatering step comprises draining by gravity, suctioning or pressing the base mat.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the slurry further comprises expanding perlite prior to forming the slurry and adding expanded perlite to the slurry.