Polyolefin coated fabric reinforcement and cementitious boards reinforced with same

1. A glass fiber fabric reinforcement comprising:

a) a glass fabric containing multiple yarns containing glass filaments; and

b) a polymeric coating disposed onto said multiple yarns to form a coated glass fabric, said polymeric coating comprising a polyolefin based copolymer composition, said coated glass fabric having a Gurley Stiffness measurement of about 100-3000 mg and an ASTM D 638 (2% Secant) modulus of compression of about 1-100 MPa, said reinforcement being sufficiently drapeable and lacking in shape memory so as to be curved around the edge of a product that is to be reinforced by said reinforcement, during the manufacturing of same, wherein said glass fabric comprises a plurality of warp, yarns laid with a plurality of weft yarns, and said polymeric coating comprises a minor component containing a melt-flow promoter containing a low density ethylene-α olefin polymer.

2. The reinforcement of claim 1 wherein said fabric comprises a laid scrim, mesh, tissue, braided fabric, needled fabric, knitted fabric, woven or non-woven fabric.

3. The reinforcement of claim 1 wherein said polyolefin based copolymer composition comprises polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, or a combination thereof.

4. The reinforcement of claim 1 wherein said polymeric coating is extruded over individual ones of said multiple yarns.

5. The reinforcement of claim 1 wherein said polyolefin based copolymer composition comprises a heterophasic copolymer of polypropylene.

6. The reinforcement of claim 1 wherein said polyolefin based copolymer composition comprises a blended mixture of polypropylene homopolymer and ethylene-propylene rubber.

7. The reinforcement of claim 1 wherein said polyolefin based copolymer composition further comprises a minor component of an adhesion promoter comprising maleic anhydride modified polypropylene.

8. A coated glass fiber fabric reinforcement comprising:

a) a glass fabric containing warp and weft yarns containing glass filaments; and

b) a polymeric coating extruded onto said glass yarns so as to substantially cover all exposed surfaces, said polymeric coating comprising

i) about 70-80 wt % heterophasic polypropylene copolymer;

ii) about 10-30 wt % polypropylene homopolymer;

iii) about 0-5 wt % ethylene-olefin copolymer;

iv) about 2-4 wt % maleic anhydride-g-polypropylene;

v) about 0-20 wt % inorganic filler; and

vi) about 500-1500 ppm vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoroalkene copolymer.

9. The glass fiber fabric reinforcement of claim 8 wherein said coated fabric reinforcement comprises a Gurley Stiffness measurement of about 100-3000 mg and an ASTM D 638 (2% Secant) modulus of compression of about 1-100 MPa.

10. The fabric reinforcement of claim 8 wherein said inorganic filler comprises talc.

11. The fabric reinforcement of claim 8 wherein said ethylene-olefin comprises an ethylene-α-olefin.

12. The fabric reinforcement of claim 8 wherein said fabric reinforcement has a Gurley Stiffness measurement of about 500-2,500 mg and an ASTM D 638 (2% Secant) modulus of compression of about 5-35 MPa.

13. A cement board comprising:

a) a cement matrix; and

b) a glass fabric containing glass yarns, said glass fabric coated with a polymeric coating disposed onto said glass yarns, said glass fabric coated with said polyolefin-based polymeric coating having a Gurley Stiffness measurement of about 100-3000 mg and an ASTM D 638 (2% Secant) modulus of compression of about 1-100 MPa, said coated glass fabric embedded into at least one surface of said cement board, said glass fabric being sufficiently drapeable so as to be curved around an edge of a cement board during manufacturing of same wherein said cement board comprises portland cement;

wherein said polypropylene copolymer composition comprises heterophasic copolymer of polypropylene or a blended mixture of polypropylene homopolymer and ethylene-propylene rubber; and

and wherein said glass fabric further comprises:

i) a glass fiber scrim comprising said glass yarns which are substantially completely covered in said polyolefin composition, said polyolefin composition comprising polypropylene copolymer as a major component;

ii) up to about 5 wt % ethylene-olefin copolymer;

iii) about 2-4 wt % maleic anhydride-g-polypropylene;

iv) up to about 20 wt % inorganic filler; and

v) about 500-1500 ppm vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoroalkene copolymer.