METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MOLDED PART FROM GLASS FIBER AND/OR MINERAL FIBER MATERIAL, MOLDED PART WHICH CAN BE OBTAINED USING SAID METHOD, AND MANUFACTURING UNIT FOR THIS PURPOSE
The invention relates to a method for producing a molded part from glass fiber and/or mineral fiber material with an inorganic binder. The inorganic binder is cured using electromagnetic radiation in order to form the molded part. The tool is designed to be at least partly permeable for the electromagnetic radiation for curing purposes, and the inorganic binder is a binder which can be cured by electromagnetic radiation. The invention further relates to a molded part which can be obtained in the aforementioned manner. Finally, the invention relates to a manufacturing unit for producing a molded part from glass fiber and/or mineral fiber material and an inorganic binder. The manufacturing unit comprises a device for providing a tool for forming the molded part, a device for introducing the glass fiber and/or mineral fiber material and the inorganic binder into the tool, a device for generating electromagnetic radiation to cure the inorganic binder in order to form a molded part, and optionally a device for removing the molded part from the tool.
1 . A process for producing a molding from glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material with an inorganic binder, comprising the steps of:
providing a mold to shape the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material to form the molding;
introducing the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material and an inorganic binder into the mold;
curing the inorganic binder by subjecting it to electromagnetic radiation within a range from 1×10 4 Hz to 4×10 14 Hz to form a cured molding;
removing the cured molding from the mold,
wherein the mold is transparent at least in subregions to the electromagnetic radiation for curing, and wherein the inorganic binder is curable with the electromagnetic radiation.
2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material is a textured glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material.
3 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the glass fiber material is an E glass, S glass or ECR glass or combinations of these.
4 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mold that is transparent to the electromagnetic radiation is or includes a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), glass, ceramic or mixtures of these.
5 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inorganic binder is or includes a sodium-, potassium- and/or lithium-based waterglass, and/or a silica sol.
6 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proportion of the inorganic binder in the molding is not more than 15% by weight of solids based on the molding.
7 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic radiation is radiofrequency radiation or microwave radiation.
8 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein one or more of the steps are effected in a semiautomatic or fully automatic manner in a manufacturing unit.
9 . The process as claimed claim 1 wherein the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material is introduced into the mold by means of a nozzle, where i) the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material has optionally been pretreated with inorganic binders or ii) the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material is injected together with the inorganic binder.
10 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inorganic binder has a pH of >9.
11 . The process as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the steps are performed so as to produce a molding consisting of glass fiber and/or mineral fibers and inorganic binder.
12 . The process as claimed claim 1 wherein a temperature of the mold in the curing step does not exceed 100° C.
13 . The process as claimed claim 1 wherein the mold takes the form of a single-use mold.
14 . A molding obtained by a process according to claim 1 .
15 . A manufacturing unit for a molding made from glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material and an inorganic binder, comprising:
a device for provisioning of a mold for formation of the molding, where said mold is transparent at least in subregions to electromagnetic radiation within a range from 1×10 4 Hz to 4×10 14 Hz;
a device for introducing the glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material and the inorganic binder into the mold;
a device for generating electromagnetic radiation for curing of the inorganic binder to form the molding;
a device for removing a shaped molding from the mold.
16 . The manufacturing unit as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the device for generating electromagnetic radiation generates microwaves and/or radiowaves.
17 . The manufacturing unit for a molding as claimed in claim 15 wherein the device for introducing glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material is a nozzle, optionally designed for texturing of this glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material and/or for feeding in the inorganic binder.
18 . The manufacturing unit as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the device for introducing glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material is designed to simultaneously wet textured, glass fiber material and/or mineral fiber material with the inorganic binder.
19 . The manufacturing unit as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a control unit for controlling one or more of operations of the manufacturing unit in a semiautomatic or fully automatic manner.
20 . The manufacturing unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein the manufacturing unit is configures such that the molding is produced in one uninterrupted operating step.
21 . A process for producing mufflers, comprising the step of introducing a molding obtained by the process set forth in claim 1 into a muffler or part of a muffler.
22 . The process as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the curing of the molding as claimed in claim follows at least partial enclosure of a hot gas-guided component.
23 . A muffler produced by a process as claimed in claim 21 .
24 . A method for affecting sound or heat of a machine or device comprising the step of using a molding produced according to claim 1 as an acoustic and/or insulating component.