Binder

Abstract

The present invention relates to binder compositions with an improved amine component, and a method of manufacturing a collection of matter bound by said binder compositions.

1 . A binder composition comprising a polymeric product of at least one carbohydrate component and at least one amine component, wherein the at least one amine component comprises a polyethyleneimine. 
     
     
         2 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyethyleneimine is a branched polyethyleneimine. 
     
     
         3 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyethyleneimine has an average molecular weight in the range of 500 to 1.000.000 g/mol. 
     
     
         4 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyethyleneimine has a ratio of primary amino groups to secondary+tertiary amino groups in the range of 1:2 to 1:1. 
     
     
         5 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyethyleneimine has a ratio of primary amino groups to secondary amino groups to tertiary amino groups in the range of 1:1.1:0.7 to 1:0.9:0.5. 
     
     
         6 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polyethyleneimine has a viscosity in water at a concentration of 50 wt.-% (25° C.) of 100 to 50.000 mPa·s. 
     
     
         7 . The 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. 
     
     
         8 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one carbohydrate component is selected from the group consisting of 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. 
     
     
         9 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio between the at least one carbohydrate component and the amine component is from 95:5 to 70:30. 
     
     
         10 . The binder composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric product is a product of the at least one carbohydrate component, the at least one amine component, and at least one additional crosslinker which is different from the amine component. 
     
     
         11 . The binder composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the additional crosslinker is HMDA. 
     
     
         12 . The binder composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the ratio carbohydrate:polyethyleneimine:HMDA is in the range of 78:2:20 to 74:7:19. 
     
     
         13 . A binder composition comprising a water-soluble pre-reacted binder and a second amine component,
 wherein the water-soluble pre-reacted binder comprises the reaction product(s) of at least one carbohydrate component and at least one first amine component, wherein the ratio of reactive nitrogen-containing groups of the at least one first amine component to the carbonyl groups of the at least one carbohydrate component is substoichiometric such that there is no full conversion of the at least one carbohydrate component, and wherein the second amine component comprises a polyethyleneimine.   
     
     
         14 . The binder composition according to  claim 13 , wherein the second amine component additionally comprises HMDA. 
     
     
         15 . The binder composition according to  claim 14 , wherein the ratio pre-react:polyethyleneimine:HMDA is in the range of 84:7:9 to 88:3:9. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a collection of matter bound by a polymeric binder comprising the steps:
 (i) providing a collection of matter,   (ii) providing the binder composition according to  claim 1  as a solution or dispersion,   (iii) applying the solution or dispersion of step (ii) to the collection of matter, and   (iv) applying heat to the collection of matter containing said solution or dispersion to cure the binder composition.