Method for manufacturing insulation products based on mineral wool using a solid thermosetting binder

1. A method for manufacturing an insulation product comprising mineral wool bound by an organic binder, comprising the following successive steps:

(a) humidifying a mineral wool to provide a humidified mineral wool that comprises from 0.2 to 1.5% by weight of water;

(b) placing the humidified mineral wool that comprises from 0.2 to 1.5% by weight of water in contact with particles of binder comprising a mixture of thermosetting reagents to provide a mixture of mineral wool and binder particles;

(c) shaping the mixture of mineral wool and binder particles to provide a shaped mixture; and

(d) heating the shaped mixture to a temperature and for a period sufficient to allow condensation of the reagents and the formation of the insulation product comprising mineral wool bound by the organic binder.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mineral wool is virgin mineral wool, a recycled mineral wool, or a blend of virgin mineral wool and recycled mineral wool.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the insulation product obtained in step (d) has a density comprised between 4 and 70 kg/m 3 .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation product obtained in step (d) has a binder content, determined by loss on ignition, comprised between 3 and 9.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, before step (a):

opening the fibers.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the opening of the fibers is performed by carding or by passing mineral wool through a turbulence chamber.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the humidifying of the mineral wool is carried out by exposing the mineral wool to water vapor or to an aerosol of water.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the humidified mineral wool comprises, when it is brought into contact with the binder particles, from 0.4 to 1.0% by weight of water.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bringing of the humidified mineral fibers into contact with binder particles is carried out using a pneumatic mixer.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the pneumatic mixer employs a stream of compressed air passing through a turbulence chamber.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the binder particles comprise at least 50% by weight of bio-based reagents.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the bio-based reagents are at least one selected from the group consisting of saccharides, saccharide hydrogenation products, and bio-based polycarboxylic acids.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the bio-based reagents comprise:

at least one sugar and/or hydrogenated sugar; and

citric acid.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the bio-based reagents comprise at least 70% by weight of hydrogenated sugars and citric acid.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the shaping of the mineral wool is carried out by molding and/or compressing the mineral wool.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of step (d) is comprised between 130° C. and 240° C.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method does not include a step aimed at reinforcing a mechanical bond between the mineral fibers by entangling the mineral fibers.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation product obtained in step (d) has a density comprised between 5 and 60 kg/m 3 .

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the insulation product obtained in step (d) has a binder content, determined by loss on ignition, comprised between 4 and 8%.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the humidified mineral wool comprises, when it is brought into contact with the binder particles, from 0.3 to 1.2% by weight of water.