Aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers

1. An aqueous binder composition for mineral fibers, wherein the binder composition comprises a water-soluble binder component which is produced by reacting, in one or more steps, at least one alkanolamine, at least one carboxylic anhydride and at least one polyalkylene glycol component selected from one or more of polyalkylene glycols, copolymers and derivates thereof and, optionally, treating the reaction product with a base.

2. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyalkylene glycol component has been pre-reacted with at least one acid component (C) selected from one or more of di- and polycarboxylic acids and anhydrides thereof to form a polyalkylene glycol ester having carboxylic acid functionality.

3. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is produced by

(a) reacting at least one carboxylic anhydride (A), at least one alkanolamine and at least one polyalkylene glycol component,

(b) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (a) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (B), and

(c) optionally, treating a reaction product obtained in (b) with a base.

4. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is produced by

(a) reacting at least one alkanolamine and at least one carboxylic anhydride (A),

(b) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (a) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (B) and at least one polyalkylene glycol component, and

(c) optionally, treating a reaction product obtained in (b) with a base.

5. The binder composition of claim 4 , wherein in (b) at least one carboxylic anhydride (B) and the at least one polyalkylene glycol component are reacted in a single stage or in consecutive stages.

6. The binder composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition is produced by

(a) reacting at least one polyalkylene glycol component and at least one acid component (C) selected from one or more of di- and polycarboxylic acids and anhydrides thereof to form a polyalkylene glycol ester having carboxylic acid functionality,

(b) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (a) with at least one alkanolamine and at least one carboxylic anhydride (A),

(c) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (b) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (B), and

(d) optionally, treating a reaction product obtained in (c) with a base.

7. The binder composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition is produced by

(a) reacting at least one alkanolamine with at least one carboxylic anhydride (A),

(b) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (a) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (B),

(c) reacting at least one polyalkylene glycol component and at least one acid component (C) selected from one or more of di- and polycarboxylic acids and anhydrides thereof to form a polyalkylene glycol ester having carboxylic acid functionality,

(d) combining reaction mixtures obtained in (b) and (c), and

(e) optionally, treating a reaction product obtained in (d) with a base.

8. The binder composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition is produced by

(a) reacting at least one alkanolamine with at least one carboxylic anhydride (A),

(b) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (a) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (B) and at least one polyalkylene glycol ester having carboxylic acid functionality produced by reacting at least one polyalkylene glycol component and at least one acid component (C) selected from one or more of di- and polycarboxylic acids and anhydrides thereof, and

(c) optionally, treating a reaction product obtained in (b) with a base.

9. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is produced by

(a) reacting at least one acid component (C) selected from one or more of di- and polycarboxylic acids and anhydrides thereof, at least one alkanolamine and at least one polyalkylene glycol component,

(b) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (a) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (A),

(c) reacting a reaction mixture obtained in (b) with at least one carboxylic anhydride (B), and

(d) optionally, treating a reaction product obtained in (c) with a base.

10. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one polyalkylene glycol component is selected from one or more of polyethylene glycol (PEG), polypropylene glycol (PPG), polybutylene glycol (PBG), copolymers and derivatives thereof.

11. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein glycerol is used in addition to, or as a complete or partial replacement of, the at least one alkanolamine.

12. The binder composition of claim 3 , wherein the carboxylic anhydrides (A) and (B) are the same or different and are independently selected from saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic anhydrides and aromatic anhydrides or mixtures thereof.

13. The binder composition of claim 12 , wherein one of the carboxylic anhydrides (A) and (B) comprises a cycloaliphatic anhydride and the other one comprises an aromatic anhydride.

14. The binder composition of claim 12 , wherein the carboxylic anhydrides (A) and (B) comprise the same or different aromatic anhydrides.

15. The binder composition of claim 12 , wherein the cycloaliphatic anhydrides comprise one or more of tetrahydrophthalic anhydride, hexahydrophthalic anhydride and methyl-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride.

16. The binder composition of claim 12 , wherein the aromatic anhydrides comprise one or more of phthalic anhydride, methylphthalic anhydride, trimellitic anhydride and pyromellitic dianhydride.

17. The binder composition of claim 2 , wherein the di- or polycarboxylic acids or anhydrides are selected from maleic acid, fumaric acid, tetrahydrophthalic acid, hexahydrophthalic acid, methyl-tetrahydrophthalic acid, phthalic acid, methylphthalic acid, trimellitic acid, pyromellitic acid and the corresponding anhydrides.

18. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one alkanolamine comprises one or more of diethanolamine, triethanolamine, diisopropanolamine, triisopropanolamine, methyldiethanolamine, ethyldiethanolamine, n-butyldiethanolamine, methyldiisopropanolamine, ethylisopropanolamine, ethyldiisopropanolamine, 3-amino-1,2-propanediol, 2-amino-1,3-propanediol and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane.

19. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein a proportion of the at least one alkanolamine, the at least one carboxylic anhydride, the at least one polyalkylene glycol and the optional acid reactants is selected such that a ratio of equivalents of amine plus hydroxy groups (NH+OH) to equivalents of carboxy groups (COOH) is within the range of from about 0.4 to about 2.0.

20. The binder composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyalkylene glycol component is used in an amount of up to about 30%, taken as weight percentage of dry solid binder.

21. The binder composition of claim 1 , further comprising a curing accelerator.

22. The binder composition of claim 21 which comprises phosphinic acid as a curing accelerator.

23. A method of producing a bonded mineral fiber product which comprises contacting mineral fibers or a mineral fiber product with a binder composition according to claim 1 , and curing the binder composition.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein curing is effected at a curing temperature of from about 200° C. to about 350° C.

25. A mineral fiber product comprising mineral fibers in contact with a cured binder composition according to claim 1 .

26. A bonded porous substrate comprising a cured binder composition according to claim 1 .

27. The bonded porous substrate of claim 26 which comprises man-made vitreous fibers or natural fibers, including plant fibers, cellulosic and lignocellulosic fibers.

28. The bonded porous substrate of claim 26 which comprises an inorganic porous material such as perlite beads.

29. A plant growth substrate product which comprises the bonded porous substrate according to claim 26 .