Binders and associated products

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water-soluble pre-reacted binder composition, a method of its manufacture, a use of said pre-reacted binder composition, a method of manufacturing a collection of matter bound by a polymeric binder, a binder solution or dispersion comprising said pre-reacted binder composition, as well as products comprising the pre-reacted binder composition in a cured state.

1 . A water-soluble pre-reacted binder composition, comprising the reaction product(s) of
 (i) at least one carbohydrate component, and   (ii) at least one nitrogen-containing component.   
     
     
         2 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said binder composition comprises at least one pre-polymer having a molecular weight in the range of 1 to 500 kDa. 
     
     
         3 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 2 , wherein said at least one pre-polymer is contained in an amount of 2 wt.-% or more, based on the total weight of the binder composition. 
     
     
         4 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said binder composition comprises at least one pre-polymer having a molecular weight in the range of more than 80 to 500 kDa (high molecular-weight pre-polymer). 
     
     
         5 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 4 , wherein said at least one high molecular-weight pre-polymer is contained in an amount of 0.2 wt.-% or more, based on the total weight of the binder composition. 
     
     
         6 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said binder composition comprises at least one pre-polymer having a molecular weight in the range of more than 10 to 80 kDa (mid molecular weight pre-polymer). 
     
     
         7 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 6 , wherein said at least one mid molecular weight pre-polymer is contained in an amount of 0.3 wt.-% or more, based on the total weight of the binder composition. 
     
     
         8 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said binder composition comprises one or more compounds having a molecular weight of 10 kDa or less (low molecular-weight compounds), and which are different from (i) the at least one carbohydrate component and (ii) the at least one nitrogen-containing component. 
     
     
         9 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 8 , in which the low molecular-weight compounds comprise one or more of a glycolaldehyde, glyceraldehyde, 2-oxopropanal, acetol, dihydroxyacetone, acetoin, butanedione, ethanal, glucosone, 1-desoxyhexosulose, 3-desoxyhexosulose, 3-desoxy-pentosulose, 1,4-didesoxyhexosulose, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, diacetyl and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural. 
     
     
         10 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , in which an aqueous solution containing 70 wt.-% of said pre-reacted binder composition has a viscosity at 20° C. of at most 2000 cP. 
     
     
         11 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , in which the viscosity of an aqueous solution containing 70 wt.-% of said pre-reacted binder composition does not increase by more than 500 cP when left to stand at 20° C. for 12 hours. 
     
     
         12 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said pre-reacted binder composition is capable of reacting with a crosslinker to yield one or more melanoidins as a water-insoluble composition. 
     
     
         13 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of total carbonyl groups in the carbohydrate component(s) to total reactive nitrogen-containing groups in the nitrogen-containing component(s) is 5:1 to 1:5. 
     
     
         14 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate component is selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides or a reaction product thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate component is selected from the group consisting of reducing sugars, ribose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose, glucose (dextrose), mannose, galactose, allose, altrose, talose, gulose, idose, fructose, psicose, sorbose, dihydroxyacetone, sucrose and tagatose, as well as mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one nitrogen-containing component is NH 3 , an inorganic amine or an organic amine comprising at least one primary amine group, as well as salts thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the carbohydrate component and the nitrogen-containing component is 0.5:1 to 30:1. 
     
     
         18 . The pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , comprising at least 10% of the initial carbonyl groups provided by the carbohydrate component. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing the pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , comprising the steps:
 (i) providing at least one carbohydrate component,   (ii) providing at least one nitrogen-containing component,   (iii) mixing in a solvent the carbohydrate component(s) and the nitrogen-containing component(s), and   (iv) reacting the carbohydrate component(s) and nitrogen-containing component(s) in the solution or dispersion obtained in step (iii).   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein steps (i) to (iv) are carried out while the carbohydrate component(s) and nitrogen-containing component(s) are not in contact with a collection of matter which is to be bound by a polymeric binder. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein reaction step (iv) is carried out by reacting the carbohydrate component(s) and nitrogen-containing component(s) at a temperature of at most 120° C. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein reaction step (iv) is carried out by reacting the carbohydrate component(s) and nitrogen-containing component(s) for a period of at most 96 hours. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein reaction step (iv) is carried out by reacting the carbohydrate component(s) and nitrogen-containing component(s) at a temperature range of 40 to 120° C. for a period of 5 to 180 minutes. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein reaction step (iv) is carried out by reacting the carbohydrate component(s) and nitrogen-containing component(s) at a temperature range of 20 to 30° C. for a period of 1 to 96 hours. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 19 , in which the viscosity of the solution or dispersion during step (iv) of reacting the carbohydrate component(s) and the nitrogen-containing component(s) does not increase by more than 300 cP, when determined at 20° C. and a starting concentration of 70 wt.-% total carbohydrate and nitrogen-containing components present before said step (iv). 
     
     
         26 . A water-soluble pre-reacted binder composition obtainable by the method according to  claim 19 . 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method of manufacturing a collection of matter bound by a polymeric binder comprising the steps:
 (i) providing a collection of matter,   (ii) providing a pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1 , in a solvent to obtain a solution or dispersion,   (iii) applying the solution or dispersion obtained in step (ii) to the collection of matter, and   (iv) applying energy to the collection of matter containing said solution or dispersion to cure the binder composition.   
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein in step (ii) a crosslinker is added to the pre-reacted binder composition. 
     
     
         30 . The method of manufacturing a collection of matter according to  claim 28 , wherein the pre-reacted binder composition has been aged for at least 24 hours before applying in step (iv) energy to the collection of matter. 
     
     
         31 . The method of manufacturing a collection of matter according to  claim 28 , wherein prior to the step of applying the solution or dispersion obtained in step (ii) to the collection of matter, the collection of matter is substantially free of binder. 
     
     
         32 . A binder solution or dispersion comprising in a solvent the pre-reacted binder composition according to  claim 1  and a crosslinker. 
     
     
         33 . A fiber or particle-containing product comprising one or more types of fibers and/or particles and the pre-reacted binder composition as defined in  claim 1  in a cured state. 
     
     
         34 . The fiber or particle-containing product according to  claim 33 , obtainable by the method according to  claim 28 . 
     
     
         35 . The fiber or particle-containing product according to  claim 33 , wherein said product contains one or more fructosazines. 
     
     
         36 . The fiber or particle-containing product according to  claim 35 , wherein said one or more fructosazines are present in an amount of 0.001 to 5 wt.-% based on the total mass of the cured binder.