# US 2018/0022059 A1 · Hydrophobic Fiberglass Thermal Insulation Materials

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- Number: US 2018/0022059 A1
- Document ID: US20180022059A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/653,606
- Filed: 2017-07-19
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20
- Assignees: Super Insulation, LLC
- Inventors: Lewis Dill; Chengjun Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022059A1

## CPC

- B32B 5/06: characterised by a fibrous {or filamentary} layer {mechanically connected, e.g. by needling} to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
- B32B 5/24: one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
- B32B 5/30: one layer {being formed of particles, e.g. chips,} granules, powder
- B32B 15/14: next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
- B32B 27/08: of synthetic resin
- D01F 6/12: from polymers of fluorinated hydrocarbons
- D06N 3/0022: {Glass fibres}
- D06N 3/0081: {by wave energy or particle radiation (D06N3/08 takes precedence)}
- D06N 3/047: {with fluoropolymers}
- D06N 7/0094: {Fibrous material being coated on one surface with at least one layer of an inorganic material and at least one layer of a macromolecular material}
- B32B 2307/50: having particular mechanical properties
- D06N 3/0063: {Inorganic compounding ingredients, e.g. metals, carbon fibres, Na2CO3, metal layers; Post-treatment with inorganic compounds}
- D06N 3/0068: {Polymeric granules, particles or powder, e.g. core-shell particles, microcapsules}
- D06N 3/009: {by spraying components on the web (powder D06N3/0093)}
- D06N 3/183: {the layers are one next to the other}
- D06N 2201/082: Glass fibres
- D06N 2203/044: Fluoropolymers
- D06N 2205/02: Dispersion
- D06N 2205/10: Particulate form, e.g. powder, granule
- D06N 2207/123: using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. IR, UV, actinic light, laser, X-ray, gamma-ray, microwave, radio frequency
- D06N 2209/065: Insulating
- D06N 2209/142: Hydrophobic
- D06N 2213/02: All layers being of the same kind of material, e.g. all layers being of polyolefins, all layers being of polyesters
- D06N 2213/03: Fibrous web coated on one side with at least two layers of the same polymer type, e.g. two coatings of polyolefin
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- D06N: WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Hydrophobic thermal insulation fiberglass flexible blanket using a textile grade fiberglass is produced by impregnating a hydrophobic polymer (e.g. a fluoropolymer) dispersion into a fiberglass blanket/mat, such as a needle felted fiberglass (FG) blanket/mat. The preferred FG needle felt blanket is a mechanically, rather than organically, bound glass fiber insulating blanket. The hydrophobic polymer dispersion forms a hydrophobic coating on the surface of the fiberglass filaments. Integral hydrophobicity is achieved and maintained without the need to add commonly-used hydrophobic inorganic particles, such as treated silica aerogels or fumed silica. Optionally, to enhance overall hydrophobicity and to inhibit fibrous surface lofting, a super-hydrophobic coating of fluoropolymer and inorganic particles such as silica particles may be dispersed onto one or more surfaces of the blanket. The resulting blanket thermally insulates better than mineral wool; it is equal in insulating properties to (or is slightly better than) untreated FG mat; and it slightly less insulating than aerogel-based blanket materials. It is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, it is flexible, it is durable, it can optionally be made moldable, it eliminates dust, and it remains hydrophobic after long-term heating to 600° F. (315° C.), or after short-term excursions to temperatures as high as 700° F. (370° C.).

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-12. (canceled)

### Claim 13

A process comprising the sequential steps of:
(a) wetting a textile-grade fiberglass blanket with a first dispersion comprising a first solvent, a first fluoropolymer, and a first surfactant;
(b) evaporating at least 70% of the first solvent from the wet blanket by microwave or radio frequency drying, to produce a partially-dried blanket; and
(c) forcing heated hot air to flow through the partially-dried blanket to decompose or remove the first surfactant, and to evaporate most or all of the remaining first solvent;
wherein the result is a composite comprising glass fibers and the first fluoropolymer; wherein the first fluoropolymer and the glass fibers are interspersed with one another with sufficient uniformity to render the composite hydrophobic.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, additionally comprising, following said forced hot air flow step, the sequential steps of:
(d) applying to at least one surface of the composite a second dispersion comprising a second solvent, a second fluoropolymer, a second surfactant, an infrared opacifier, a wetting agent, and inorganic particles; wherein the first and second solvents may be the same or different; wherein the first and second fluoropolymers may be the same or different; wherein the first and second surfactants may be the same or different; and wherein the inorganic particles comprise particles selected from the group consisting of silica aerogel, fumed silica, precipitated silica, synthetic amorphous silica, and mixtures thereof; wherein the inorganic particles have a particle size between 0.1 to 100 microns; wherein the inorganic particles have a specific surface area of 100 m2/g or greater; and wherein the inorganic particles comprise a hydrophobic surface;
(e) heat-drying the surface dispersion by conduction, convection, or infrared heating to remove the second solvent and the second surfactant;
wherein a super-hydrophobic topcoat is formed on at least one surface of the composite.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein said wetting step comprises dipping and nipping the fiberglass blanket in the first dispersion, to achieve a selected degree of wetting; wherein the resulting mass of the wetted blanket is between 50% and 200% greater than the mass of the blanket prior to said wetting step.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein said process is conducted in a continuous manner.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the fiberglass blanket has a density between 65 to 250 g/L, and a thickness between 2.5 mm and 5 cm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the first dispersion additionally comprises an infrared opacifier that reduces radiative heat flow; wherein the infrared opacifier comprises particles selected from the group consisting of carbon black, graphite, graphene, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, silicon carbide, zirconium dioxide, and mixtures thereof; wherein the first solvent comprises water, or a mixture of water and an alcohol selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and mixtures thereof; and wherein the first fluoropolymer is between 1% and 20% of the first dispersion by mass.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein said microwave or radio frequency drying step evaporates at least 90% of the first solvent.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13, wherein the hot air in step (c) has a temperature between 260° C. and 315° C.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13; wherein the first fluoropolymer is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, fluorinated ethylene propylene, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The process of claim 21; wherein the first fluoropolymer comprises polytetrafluoroethylene; and wherein the first fluoropolymer is mixed with at least one low-melting fluoropolymer comprising perfluoroalkoxy alkanes, fluorinated ethylene propylene, and mixtures thereof; wherein the low-melting fluoropolymer is between 1% and 90% of the first fluoropolymer by mass; wherein the low-melting fluoropolymer and the first fluoropolymer are chemically different polymers; and wherein the low-melting fluoropolymer improves the ability to mold the composite into a selected shape that is retained after molding, as compared to an otherwise identical process lacking the low-melting fluoropolymer.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The process of claim 22, additionally comprising the step of heat-molding the composite into a selected shape, and then cooling the molded composite so that the selected shape is retained.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The molded composite produced by the process of claim 23.

### Claim 25 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the second fluoropolymer is between 1% and 15% of the second dispersion by mass.

### Claim 26 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the hydrophobic inorganic particles are between 0.1% and 5% of the second dispersion by mass.

### Claim 27 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the wetting agent is an anionic or nonionic surfactant having a boiling point, a decomposition point, or both below 205° C.; and wherein the wetting agent is between 0.1% and 5.0% of the second dispersion by mass.

### Claim 28 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the wetting agent comprises an ether amine oxide, an ethoxylated alcohol, or a mixture thereof.

### Claim 29 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein said heat-drying step (e) heats the second solvent to a temperature between 205° C. and 345° C.