# US 2013/0153810 A1 · Partially Fire Resistant Insulation Material Comprising Unrefined Virgin Pulp Fibers and Wood Ash Fire Retardant Component

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- Number: US 2013/0153810 A1
- Document ID: US20130153810A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/766,813
- Filed: 2013-02-14
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-02-08
- Assignees: International Paper Company
- Inventors: JAMES E. SEALEY; BRENT A. FIELDS
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130153810A1

## CPC

- E04B 1/78: Heat insulating elements {(E04B1/7662 takes precedence)}
- D21H 21/34: Ignifugeants
- E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001})
- D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A partially fire resistant cellulosic fiber thermal insulation material from a fibrous web of unrefined virgin softwood and hardwood provides fibers which provides an R-value (as measured by the ASTM C518 test) of at least about 3, and a wood ash fire retardant component present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount of at least about 1.5% by weight of the fibrous web and sufficient to impart at least partial fire resistance (as measured by the ASTM E970-08A test) to the fibrous web. Also, a process for preparing this at least partially fire resistant thermal insulation material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An article comprising a fire resistant cellulosic fiber thermal insulation material comprising:
a fibrous web providing an R-value (as measured by the ASTM C518 test) of at least about 3 and comprising:
from about 5 to about 85% unrefined virgin softwood pulp fibers by weight of the fibrous web; and
from about 15 to about 85% unrefined virgin hardwood pulp fibers by weight of the fibrous web; and
at least about 1.5% by weight of the fibrous web of a wood ash fire retardant component in and/or on the fibrous web and sufficient to impart at least partial fire resistance (as measured by the ASTM E970-08A test) to the fibrous web.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The article of claim 1, wherein the fibrous web comprises from about 10 to about 60% softwood pulp fibers and from about 40 to about 90% hardwood pulp fibers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The article of claim 2, wherein the fibrous web comprises from about 15 to about 30% softwood fibers and from about 70 to about 85% hardwood fibers.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The article of claim 1, wherein the fibrous web provides an R-value in the range of from about 3 to about 4.5.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The article of claim 4, wherein the fibrous web provides an R-value in the range of from about 3.4 to about 4.2.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The article of claim 1, wherein the fibrous web has a basis weight about 850 gsm or less and a moisture content of less than about 20%.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The article of claim 6, wherein the fibrous web has a basis weight about 500 gsm or less and a moisture content of less than about 12%.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The article of claim 1, wherein the fibrous web includes one or more debonder surfactants in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 0.05 to about 0.35% by weight.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The article of claim 8, wherein the fibrous web includes one or more debonder surfactants in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 0.75 to about 0.15% by weight.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The article of claim 1, wherein the wood ash fire retardant component is present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 20%, by weight of the fibrous web.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The article of claim 10, wherein the wood ash fire retardant component is present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 5%, by weight of the fibrous web.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The article of claim 10, wherein the wood ash fire retardant component comprises one or more of: calcium carbonate; potash alum (potassium aluminum sulfate); sodium carbonate; clay; or talc.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The article claim 1, wherein the fibrous web includes one or more other fire retardants in an amount sufficient to pass the ASTM E970-08A test.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The article of claim 13, wherein the other fire retardants are one or more of: borate fire retardants, phosphorous fire retardants, halogenated fire retardants, or metal oxide fire retardants, and wherein the other fire retardants are present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 15 to about 25% by weight.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The article of claim 14, wherein the other fire retardants are present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 15 to about 18% by weight.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The article of claim 14, wherein the other fire retardants comprise one or more borate fire retardants.

### Claim 17

A process comprising the following steps:
a. providing a fibrous web providing an R-value (as measured by the ASTM C518 test) of at least about 3 and comprising:
from about 5 to about 85% unrefined virgin softwood pulp fibers by weight of the fibrous web; and
from about 15 to about 95% unrefined virgin hardwood pulp fibers by weight of the fibrous web; and
b. treating the fibrous web with a wood ash fire composition comprising a wood ash fire retardant component such that the wood ash fire retardant component is present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount of at least about 1.5%, by weight of the fibrous web and sufficient to provide a cellulosic fiber thermal insulation material which is at least partially fire resistant (as measured by the ASTM E970-08A test).

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, wherein the fibrous web of step (a) is formed from a pulp slurry, and wherein step (b) is carried out by adding the wood ash fire retardant composition to a pulp slurry.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18, wherein step (b) is carried out by adding a portion of total wood ash fire retardant component to the pulp slurry, and by adding the remaining portion of the total wood ash fire retardant component to the formed fibrous web.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The process of claim 19, wherein step (b) is carried out by adding from about 5 to 100% of total wood ash fire retardant component to the pulp slurry, and by adding from 0 to about 95% of the total wood ash fire retardant component to the formed fibrous web.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein step (b) is carried out by adding from about 10 to about 90% of total wood ash fire retardant component to the pulp slurry, and by adding from about 10 to about 90% of the total wood ash fire retardant component to the formed fibrous web.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18, wherein step (b) is carried out by using a size press to add the remaining portion of the total wood ash fire retardant component to the formed fibrous web.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18, wherein step (b) is carried out by spraying the remaining portion of the total wood ash fire retardant component on the formed fibrous web.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, wherein step (b) is carried out by treating the fibrous web with the wood ash fire retardant composition such that the wood ash fire retardant component is present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 20%, by weight of the fibrous web.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The process of claim 24, wherein step (b) is carried out by treating the fibrous web with the wood ash fire retardant composition such that the wood ash fire retardant component is present in and/or on the fibrous web in an amount of from about 1.5 to about 5%, by weight of the fibrous web.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The process of claim 25, wherein step (b) is carried out by treating the fibrous web with a wood ash fire retardant composition wherein the wood ash fire retardant component comprises one or more of: calcium carbonate; potash alum (potassium aluminum sulfate); sodium carbonate; clay; or talc.

### Claim 27 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, which comprises the further following step: (c) treating the fibrous web with one or more other fire retardants in an amount sufficient to pass the ASTM E970-08A test.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The process of claim 27, wherein step (c) is carried by treating the fibrous web with one or more of: borate fire retardants, phosphorous fire retardants, halogenated fire retardants, or metal oxide fire retardants, in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 15 to about 25% by weight.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The process of claim 28, wherein step (c) is carried by treating the fibrous web with one or more of: borate fire retardants, phosphorous fire retardants, halogenated fire retardants, or metal oxide fire retardants, in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 15 to about 18% by weight.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The process of claim 28, wherein step (c) is carried by treating the fibrous web with one or more borate fire retardants.

### Claim 31 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, wherein the fibrous web of step (a) comprises from about 10 to about 60% softwood pulp fibers and from about 40 to about 90% hardwood fibers.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The process of claim 31, wherein the fibrous web of step (a) comprises from about 15 to about 30% softwood pulp fibers and from about 70 to about 85% hardwood fibers.

### Claim 33 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, which comprises the further following step: (d) treating the fibrous web with one or more debonder surfactants.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The process of claim 33, wherein step (d) is carried out by treating the fibrous web with the debonder surfactants in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 0.05 to about 0.35% by weight.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The process of claim 34, wherein step (d) is carried out by treating the fibrous web with the debonder surfactants in an amount (based on the fibrous web) of from about 0.075 to about 0.15% by weight.

### Claim 36 (depends on 17)

The process of claim 17, which comprises the further following step: (e) treating the fibrous web with one or more trivalent metal cations.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The process of claim 36, wherein step (e) is carried out by treating the fibrous web with alum.