Mineral wool binder

Abstract

A formaldehyde-free binder composition for mineral fibers which comprises at least one phenol containing compound and at least one protein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A binder composition for mineral fibers, wherein the composition is formaldehyde-free and comprises at least one protein and one or more phenol containing compounds which comprise a hydroxybenzoic aldehyde. 
     
     
         2 . The binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more phenol containing compounds further comprise one or more phenol containing compounds selected from one or more of hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxyacetophenones, hydroxyphenylacetic acids, cinnamic acids, cinnamic acid esters, cinnamyl aldehydes, cinnamyl alcohols, coumarins, isocoumarins, chromones, flavonoids, chalcones, dihydrochalcones, aurones, flavanones, flavanonols, flavans, leucoanthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavones, anthocyanidins, deoxyanthocyanidines, anthocyanins, biflavonyls, benzophenones, xanthones, stilbenes, betacyanins, polyphenols, polyhydroxyphenols, lignans, neolignans (dimers or oligomers from coupling of monolignols), lignins (synthesized primarily from p-coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol), tannins, phlobabenes. 
     
     
         3 . The binder composition of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more tannins are selected from one or more of tannic acid, condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins), hydrolyzable tannins, gallotannins, ellagitannins, complex tannins, and/or tannin originating from one or more of oak, chestnut, staghorn sumac and fringe cups. 
     
     
         4 . The binder composition of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more phenol containing compounds further comprise one or more synthetic or semisynthetic molecules that contain phenols, polyphenols, quinones. 
     
     
         5 . The binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one protein is selected from one or more of proteins from animal sources, proteins from vegetable sources, and polyphenolic proteins. 
     
     
         6 . The binder composition of  claim 2 , wherein a concentration of one or more tannins is from 1% to 70 wt. %, based on dry protein. 
     
     
         7 . The binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein a mass ratio of (lysine+cystein) in the at least one protein to (phenol+quinone) in the one or more phenol containing compounds is froml: 5.78 to 1:0.08. 
     
     
         8 . The binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein the binder composition further comprises one or more additives selected from one or more of oxidants, metal ions, and pH-adjusters. 
     
     
         9 . A binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein the binder composition has a pH of higher than 7. 
     
     
         10 . The binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein the binder composition further comprises at least one additive selected from linkers containing amine groups and/or thiol groups. 
     
     
         11 . The binder composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hydroxybenzoic aldehyde is vanillin. 
     
     
         12 . A mineral wool product, wherein the product comprises mineral fibers bonded by a binder resulting from curing the binder composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The mineral wool product according to  claim 12 , wherein the product has a density of from 10 kg/m 3  to 1200 kg/m 3 . 
     
     
         14 . The mineral wool product of  claim 12 , wherein the product exhibits a loss on ignition (LOI) of from 0.1% to 25.0% by weight. 
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a mineral wool product, wherein the method comprises contacting mineral fibers with the binder composition of  claim 1  and thereafter curing the binder composition. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method comprises:
 making a melt of raw materials,   fibrerizing the melt by a fiber forming apparatus to form mineral fibers,   providing the mineral fibers in the form of a collected web,   mixing the binder composition with the mineral fibers before, during or after the provision of the collected web to form a mixture of mineral fibers and binder composition,   curing the mixture of mineral fibers and binder composition.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein mixing the binder composition with the mineral fibers is done after provision of the collected web as follows:
 subjecting the collected web of mineral fibers to a disentanglement process,   suspending the mineral fibers in a primary air flow,   mixing the binder composition with the mineral fibers before, during or after the disentanglement process to form a mixture of mineral fibers and binder composition.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein curing is carried out at temperatures of from 5 to 95° C. ° C. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein curing is carried out at temperatures of from 10° C. to 60° C. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the curing comprises a drying process.