Binders

1. A finished material comprising a collection of non-woven mineral fibers maintained together by a cured, substantially formaldehyde-free, nitrogenous polymer-containing binder, wherein the finished material comprises residual levels of more than 500 mg of ionic species per kg of finished material, said species selected from the group consisting of sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, carbonates, and combinations thereof, in which the residual levels are assessed in a leach test.

2. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber thermal insulation material.

3. The finished material of claim 1 in which the mineral fibers are glass fibers.

4. The finished material of claim 1 in which the mineral fibers are stone wool fibers.

5. The finished material of claim 1 in which the cured binder is a thermoset binder.

6. The finished material of claim 1 in which the cured binder is substantially water insoluble.

7. The finished material of claim 1 in which the cured binder has a dark brown color.

8. The finished material of claim 1 in which the cured binder comprises greater than 2% nitrogen by mass.

9. The finished material of claim 1 in which the cured binder comprises less than 8% nitrogen by mass.

10. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises residual levels of more than 750 mg of ionic species per kg of finished material, said species selected from the group consisting of sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, carbonates, and combinations thereof.

11. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises residual levels of more than 1000 mg of ionic species per kg of finished material, said species selected from the group consisting of sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, carbonates, and combinations thereof.

12. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises residual levels of more than 1500 mg of ionic species per kg of finished material, said species selected from the group consisting of sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, carbonates, and combinations thereof.

13. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises residual levels of less than 5000 mg of ionic species per kg of finished material, said species selected from the group consisting of sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, carbonates, and combinations thereof.

14. The finished material of claim 1 in which the quantity of binder in the finished material is greater than 2.5% by dry weight.

15. The finished material of claim 1 in which the quantity of binder in the finished material is greater than 2.5% by dry weight and less than 15% by dry weight.

16. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber insulation product and has an ordinary parting strength of at least 120 g/g.

17. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber insulation product and has an ordinary parting strength of less than 400 g/g.

18. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber insulation product and has a weathered parting strength of at least 120 g/g.

19. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber insulation product and has a weathered parting strength of less than 400 g/g.

20. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber insulation product and has a % loss between ordinary and weathered parting strength of less than 10%.

21. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral fiber insulation product which comprises glass wool fibers and has a density greater than 5 kg/m 3 and less than 80 kg/m 3 .

22. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral wool insulation product and has a thermal conductivity λof less than 0.05 W/mK.

23. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material is a mineral wool insulation product and comprises less than 99% by weight and more than 80% by weight mineral fibers.

24. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an acid precursor derivable from an inorganic salt.

25. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an inorganic ammonium salt.

26. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an ammonium sulfate salt.

27. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an ammonium phosphate salt.

28. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises acid precursor which makes up at least 5% by dry weight of the uncured binder.

29. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises acid precursor which makes up at least 7% by dry weight of the uncured binder.

30. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises acid precursor which makes up at least 9% by dry weight of the uncured binder.

31. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises acid precursor which makes up at least 5% by dry weight of the uncured binder and less than 25% by dry weight of the uncured binder.

32. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an acid selected from the group consisting of: a sulfuric acid, a phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and a weak acid.

33. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises sulfuric acid.

34. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises phosphoric acid.

35. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a reducing sugar.

36. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a monosaccharide.

37. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a reactant that yields a reducing sugar in situ under thermal curing conditions.

38. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises dextrose.

39. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a carbohydrate having a reducing aldehyde.

40. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a material having a dextrose equivalent value of at least 0.85.

41. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a material having a dextrose equivalent value of at least 0.9.

42. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises acid precursor and reducing sugar, where the ratio by dry weight of reducing sugar to acid precursor, expressed as dry weight of reducing sugar/dry weight of acid precursor, is in the range 2.5 to 13.

43. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an amine.

44. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing is essentially derived from a reducing sugar and an inorganic ammonium salt in aqueous solution.

45. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a carboxylic acid.

46. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a polycarboxylic acid.

47. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises citric acid.

48. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an organic acid.

49. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises an organic acid precursor.

50. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing is an aqueous solution.

51. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of: mineral oils, coupling agents, silicones or siloxanes, silicon containing compounds, surfactants, hydrophilic additives, hydrophobic additives, waxes, substances useful for controlling the pH, and ammonia.

52. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises a silane.

53. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing has a pH greater than or equal to 7.

54. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing has a pH less than or equal to 12.

55. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises free ammonia.

56. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing is sprayed onto the mineral fibers.

57. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises wash water.

58. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing is substantially colorless.

59. The finished material of claim 1 in which the reaction of the binder upon curing is essentially a Maillard type reaction.

60. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises at least 5% solids.

61. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises at least 10% of solids.

62. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises less than 40% of solids.

63. The finished material of claim 1 in which curing the binder comprises passing loose non-woven mineral fibers to which uncured binder has been applied through at least one zone of a curing oven at a temperature within the range 230-300° C.

64. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by dry weight that are greater than 2.5%.

65. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by dry weight that are greater than 3%.

66. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by dry weight that are greater than 5%.

67. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by dry weight that are less than 25%.

68. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises at least 76% by dry weight of reducing sugar.

69. The finished material of claim 1 in which the binder prior to curing comprises between about 76% and about 86% by dry weight of reducing sugar.

70. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by weight that are greater than 2.5% with respect to said binder.

71. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by weight that are greater than 3% with respect to said binder.

72. The finished material of claim 1 in which the finished material comprises levels of sulfates, phosphates, carbonates, nitrates, or combinations thereof by weight that are greater than 5% with respect to said binder.

73. A finished mineral fiber thermal insulation material comprising a collection of non-woven mineral fibers maintained together by a cured, substantially water insoluble, substantially formaldehyde-free, nitrogenous polymer-containing binder,

wherein the finished material comprises residual levels of more than 500 mg of ionic species per kg of finished material, said species selected from the group consisting of sulfates, phosphates, nitrates, carbonates, and combinations thereof as assessed in a leach test,

wherein the quantity of binder is greater than 2.5% by dry weight and less than 15% by dry weight, and

wherein the mineral fiber insulation material comprises glass wool fibers and has

an ordinary parting strength of at least 120 g/g,

a weathered parting strength of at least 120 g/g,

a density greater than 5 kg/m 3 and less than 80 kg/m 3 ,

a thermal conductivity λof less than 0.05 W/mK., and

comprises less than 99% by weight and more than 80% by weight mineral fibers.