Glass fibers with reduced tendency to form gumming deposits and sizing composition

Abstract

The sizing compositions and sized glass fibers formed therefrom are provided, wherein the sized glass fibers have a reduced tendency to form gumming deposits on fabrication machinery under relatively high humidity conditions, and wherein processibility of the sized glass fibers with the sizing composition is improved, and wherein the sized glass fiber strand package is improved. The sizing composition comprises in weight percent of the non-aqueous ingredients, about 50 to about 75 weight percent of a starch mixture having about 75 to about 95 percent by weight of the mixture comprised of an underivatized, high amylose starch component and about 5 to about 25 weight percent of the mixture comprised of an easily cookable low amylose starch component; and about 5 to about 35 percent of one or more waxes selected from the group consisting of animal waxes, vegetable waxes, mineral waxes, synthetic waxes, and petroleum waxes; and about 9 to about 77 percent by weight of a nonionic lubricant having fatty triglycerides; and about 10 to about 45 percent by weight of an alkyl imidazoline textile softener; and at least 0.1 parts per part of wax and per part of nonionic lubricant of a mixture of sorbitan monostearate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate wherein one emulsifier has an HLB as low as 4.5 and the other emulsifier has an HLB as high as 15 and wherein the ratio of the emulsifiers are sufficient to give an HLB for the emulsifying mixture between about 8 and about 12. The sizing composition may also contain wetting agents, coupling agents, cationic lubricants, bactericides and the like. The sized glass fibers have the dried residue of the sizing composition on the fibers in an amount of about 0.8 to about 1.5 weight percent based on the weight of the glass.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.