FORMALDEHYDE FREE SAFE TO USE BINDER FORMULATION FOR WOVEN, NONWOVEN AND GRANULAR MATERIALS

1 - 38 . (canceled)

39 . A formaldehyde free composition comprising:

a latex emulsion, wherein the latex emulsion consists of a copolymerization product of one or more of vinylaromatic monomer(s), acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylate monomer(s), methacrylate monomer(s), acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, acrylamide, methacrylamide, hydroxyalkyl acrylate(s), itaconate(s), fumarate(s), or hydroxyalkyl methacrylate(s) or mixtures thereof;

an epoxysilane or an epoxy dispersion or a mixture of both;

a water soluble polycarboxylic acid;

a polyol; and, optionally,

an additive, wherein the composition does not comprise formaldehyde.

40 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the epoxysilane comprises:

wherein:

R is (CH 2 )m, where m has a value of 0 to 6;

R 2 is a C 1 -C 10 alkyl, optionally substituted with a C 1 -C 10 alkoxy, or a C 6 -C 10 aryl or a C 7 -C 10 aralkyl group;

R 3 is a C 2 -C 6 alkyl, optionally substituted with a C 1 -C 10 alkoxy, or a C 6 -C 10 aryl or a C 7 -C 10 aralkyl group;

R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 are individually each hydrogen or a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group;

R 8 is a C 1 -C 4 alkylene group or a C 7 -C 10 aralkylene or a C 6 -C 10 arylene group;

R 9 is RSi(R n 2 )(OR 3 ) 3−n ;

n is 0, 1 or 2;

c, d and e are each independently 0 or 1; and

f is 0, 1 or 2.

41 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 40 , wherein the epoxysilane comprises a glycidoxy silane, a beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyl alkoxysilane or an epoxidized bisphenol A novolac resin.

42 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 41 , wherein the glycidoxy silane comprises one or more of gamma-glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyl triethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyl methyldimethoxysilane, or gamma-glycidoxypropyl methyldiethoxysilane.

43 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 40 , wherein the epoxysilane comprises beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyl trimethoxysilane, beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyl methyl dimethoxysilane, beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyl methyl diethoxysilane, or beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)-ethyl triethoxysilane.

44 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the epoxy dispersion comprises an epoxidized bisphenol A novolac resin.

45 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the water soluble polycarboxylic acid comprises at least 2 carboxylic acid groups.

46 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the polyol is starch.

47 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , further comprising an additive.

48 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the wt % of the latex is from about 55 wt % to about 95 wt %.

49 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the wt % of the polyol is from about 2 wt % to about 50 wt %.

50 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the wt % of the epoxy silane and/or the epoxy dispersion is from about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % in total.

51 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 39 , wherein the wt % of the optional additive is from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt %.

52 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 48 , wherein the latex is a styrene butadiene latex.

53 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 52 , wherein the wt % of the polyol is from about 2 wt % to about 50 wt %.

54 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 52 , wherein the wt % of the epoxy silane and/or the epoxy dispersion is from about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % in total.

55 . The formaldehyde free composition of claim 52 , wherein the wt % of the optional additive is from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt %.