Mineral fiber product

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a mineral fibre product, comprising mineral fibres in contact with a binder resulting from the curing of an aqueous binder composition free of phenol and formaldehyde.

1  –  23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A mineral fiber product, wherein the product comprises mineral fibers in contact with a binder resulting from curing an aqueous binder composition free of phenol and formaldehyde and comprising:
 a component (i) in the form of one or more lignosulfonate lignins having a carboxylic acid group content of from 0.03 mmol/g to 1.4 mmol/g, based on a dry weight of the lignosulfonate lignins,   a component (ii) in the form of one or more cross-linkers;   a component (iii) in the form of one or more plasticizers; 
 provided that the aqueous binder composition does not comprise a cross-linker selected from
 epoxy compounds having a molecular weight M w  of 500 or less; 
 carbonyl compounds selected from aldehydes, carbonyl compounds of the formula R—[C(O)R 1 ] x   
 in which:
 R represents a saturated or unsaturated and linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon radical, a radical including one or more aromatic nuclei which consist of 5 or 6 carbon atoms, a radical including one or more aromatic heterocycles containing 4 or 5 carbon atoms and an oxygen, nitrogen or sulfur atom, it being possible for the R radical to contain other functional groups, 
 R 1  represents a hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 10  alkyl radical, and 
 x varies from 1 to 10;
 polyamines. 
 
 
 
     
     
         25 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (i) has a carboxylic acid group content of from 0.05 mmol/g to 0.6 mmol/g, based on the dry weight of lignosulfonate lignins. 
     
     
         26 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (i) is in the form of one or more lignosulfonate lignins having an average carboxylic acid group content of less than 1.8 groups per macromolecule considering an Mn wt. average of component (i). 
     
     
         27 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (i) has a content of phenolic OH groups of from 0.3 mmol/g to 2.5 mmol/g, based on the dry weight of lignosulfonate lignins. 
     
     
         28 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (i) has a content of aliphatic OH groups of from 1.0 mmol/g to 8.0 mmol/g, based on the dry weight of lignosulfonate lignins. 
     
     
         29 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (i) comprises ammoniumlignosulfonates and/or calciumlignosulfonates, and/or magnesiumlignosulfonates, and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (i) comprises ammoniumlignosulfonates and calciumlignosulfonates in which a molar ratio of NH 4 + to Ca 2+  ranges from 5:1 to 1:5. 
     
     
         31 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein the aqueous binder composition contains added sugar in an amount of from 0 to less than 5 wt.-%, based on a total weight of lignosulfonate and sugar. 
     
     
         32 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein the aqueous binder composition comprises from 50 wt.-% to 98 wt.-% of component (i), based on a dry weight of components (i) and (ii). 
     
     
         33 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (ii) is in the form of one or more cross-linkers selected from
 β-hydroxyalkylamide-cross-linkers; and/or   oxazoline-cross-linkers; and/or   multifunctional organic amines; and/or   epoxy compounds having a molecular weight of more than 500 or one or more flexible oligomers or polymers which contain reactive functional groups; and/or   one or more cross-linkers selected from fatty amines; and/or   one more cross-linkers in the form of fatty amides; and/or   one or more cross-linkers selected from polyester polyol; and/or   one or more cross-linkers selected from starch, modified starch, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); and/or   one or more cross-linkers in the form of multifunctional carbodiimides; and/or   one or more cross-linkers selected from melamine based cross-linkers.   
     
     
         34 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (ii) comprises one or more cross-linkers selected from β-hydroxyalkylamide cross-linkers and/or oxazoline-cross-linkers. 
     
     
         35 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein the product comprises from 1 wt.-% to 50 wt.-% of component (ii), based on a dry weight of component (i). 
     
     
         36 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein
 component (iii) is in the form of
 one or more plasticizers selected from fatty alcohols, monohydroxy alcohols; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from alkoxylates; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers in the form of propylene glycols; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers in the form of glycol esters; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from adipates, acetates, benzoates, cyclobenzoates, citrates, stearates, sorbates, sebacates, azelates, butyrates, valerates; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from phenol derivatives; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from silanols, siloxanes; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from sulfates, sulfonates, phosphates; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers in the form of hydroxy acids; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from monomeric amides; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from quaternary ammonium compounds; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from vegetable oils; and/or 
 tall oil; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from hydrogenated oils, acetylated oils; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from acid methyl esters; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from alkyl polyglucosides, gluconamides, 
 aminoglucoseamides, sucrose esters, sorbitan esters; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers selected from polyethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol ethers; and/or 
 one or more plasticizers in the form of polyols; and/or 
 triethanolamine. 
   
     
     
         37 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (iii) is in the form of propylene glycols, phenol derivatives, silanols, siloxanes, hydroxy acids, vegetable oils, polyethylene glycols, polyethylene glycol ethers, triethanolamine, or any mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (iii) comprises one or more plasticizers having a boiling point of from 100° C. to 380° C. 
     
     
         39 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein component (iii) comprises one or more polyethylene glycols having an average molecular weight of from 150 g/mmol to 50000 g/mol. 
     
     
         40 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein the product comprises from 0.5 wt.-% to 60 wt.-% of component (iii), based on a dry weight of component (i). 
     
     
         41 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein the aqueous binder composition further comprises urea. 
     
     
         42 . The mineral fiber product of  claim 24 , wherein the product does not contain an ammonia-oxidized lignin (AOL). 
     
     
         43 . A method of preparing a binder composition for mineral wool which is free of phenol and formaldehyde, wherein the method comprises employing one or more lignosulfonate lignins having a carboxylic acid group content of from 0.03 mmol/g to 1.4 mmol/g, based on a dry weight of the lignosulfonate lignins for making the binder composition.