Surface tension relieved mounting material

Abstract

The present invention provides a mounting article having reduced or relieved surface tension for pollution control devices which utilize a monolith structure within a metal housing. The mounting article comprises a sheet material having major top and bottom surfaces, a thickness, a length and a width, said sheet material having at least one score-line in a surface of said sheet material. The present invention also provides a pollution control device comprising a housing, a pollution control element disposed within the housing, and a mounting article of the invention disposed between the pollution control element and the housing.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mounting article for mounting a pollution control element within a pollution control device, said mounting article comprising a sheet material useful for mounting a pollution control element in a housing, said sheet material having major top and bottom surfaces, a thickness, a length and a width, and having at least one score-line in a surface of said sheet material.  
     
     
         2 . The mounting article of    claim 1    wherein said score-line is disposed across the width of a surface of the sheet material.  
     
     
         3 . The mounting article of    claim 1    wherein said score-line is disposed across the length of a surface of the sheet material.  
     
     
         4 . The mounting article of    claim 2    wherein the score-line extends across the entire width of the sheet material.  
     
     
         5 . The mounting article of    claim 3    wherein the score-line extends across the entire length of the sheet material.  
     
     
         6 . The mounting article of    claim 3    wherein said score-line has a length that is less than the length of the sheet material.  
     
     
         7 . The mounting article of    claim 2    wherein the score-line is perpendicular to the length of said sheet material.  
     
     
         8 . The mounting article of    claim 3    wherein the score-line is perpendicular to the width of the sheet material.  
     
     
         9 . The mounting article of    claim 1    wherein said sheet material has at least two score-lines in a surface of the sheet material.  
     
     
         10 . The mounting article of    claim 9    wherein the depth of the score-lines ranges from about 5 to about 90 percent of the thickness of the sheet material.  
     
     
         11 . The mounting article of claims  1  or  9  wherein the sheet material is an intumescent sheet material.  
     
     
         12 . A pollution control device comprising: 
 a housing;    a pollution control element disposed within the housing; and    a mounting article disposed between the pollution control element and the housing, said mounting article comprising a sheet material useful for mounting a pollution control element having major top and bottom surfaces, a thickness, a length and a width, said sheet material having at least one score-line in a surface of said sheet material.    
     
     
         13 . The pollution control device of    claim 12    wherein said sheet material has at least two score-lines in a surface of the sheet material.  
     
     
         14 . The pollution control device of    claim 13    wherein said score-lines extend across the entire width of the sheet material.  
     
     
         15 . The pollution control device of    claim 14    wherein said score-lines are perpendicular to the length of the sheet material.  
     
     
         16 . The pollution control device of    claim 15    wherein the depth of the score-lines ranges from about 5 to about 90 percent of the thickness of the sheet material.  
     
     
         17 . The pollution control device of    claim 12    wherein the score-line extends across the length of the sheet material.  
     
     
         18 . The pollution control device of    claim 12    wherein said sheet material has said score-line in the top surface of the sheet material.  
     
     
         19 . The pollution control device of    claim 13    wherein the sheet material is intumescent.  
     
     
         20 . The pollution control device of    claim 13    wherein the sheet material is intumescent, the score-lines extend across the entire width of the top surface of the sheet material and perpendicular to the length of the sheet material and wherein the depth of the score-lines is about 50 percent of the thickness of the sheet material.  
     
     
         21 . A method of making a mounting article for a pollution control element comprising the steps of: 
 providing an intumescent or a non-intumescent sheet material having dimensions suitable for use as a mounting for a pollution control element; and    providing at least one score-line in a surface of said sheet material.    
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 21    wherein at least two score-lines are provided in a surface of the sheet material.  
     
     
         23 . The pollution control device of    claim 12    wherein the monolith has a round shape and the sheet material has a plurality of score-lines in the top surface of the sheet material and the top surface of the sheet material faces the housing.  
     
     
         24 . The pollution control device of    claim 12    wherein the sheet material has at least one score-line in the bottom surface and the bottom surface faces the pollution control element.  
     
     
         25 . The pollution control device of    claim 24    wherein the bottom surface of the sheet material has a plurality of score-lines