Flexible nonwoven mat
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsJohn J. Rogers, John L. Erickson, Stephen M. Sanocki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a flexible nonwoven mat comprising physically entangled shot-free ceramic oxide fibers. The flexible nonwoven mat is useful, for example, as filter material, mounting mat, thermal insulation, and sound insulation.
Claims27
A flexible nonwoven mat comprising shot-free ceramic oxide fibers, wherein at least a portion of said shot-free ceramic oxide fibers are physically entangled, wherein said shot-free ceramic oxide fibers have a diameter greater than 5 micrometers and a length greater than about 1.5 cm, wherein said shot-free ceramic oxide fibers are selected from the group consisting of (a) aluminosilicate-based fibers comprising aluminum oxide in the range from 60 to about 85 percent by weight and silicon oxide in the range from about 40 to about 15 percent by weight silicon oxide, based on the total weight of said aluminosilicate-based fibers, said aluminosilicate-based fibers being at least 20 percent by weight crystalline;
- (b) crystalline quartz fibers, and (c) mixtures of (a) and (b), and wherein the combined weight of said aluminosilicate-based fibers and said crystalline quartz fibers is at least 50 percent by weight of the total weight of said nonwoven mat.
A method for making a flexible nonwoven mat, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a flexible nonwoven mat comprising shot-free ceramic oxide fibers, wherein said shot-free ceramic oxide fibers have a diameter greater than 5 micrometers and a length greater than about 1.5 cm, wherein said shot-free ceramic oxide fibers are selected from the group consisting of (a) aluminosilicate-based fibers comprising aluminum oxide in the range from 60 to about 85 percent by weight and silicon oxide in the range from about 40 to about 15 percent by weight silicon oxide, based on the total weight of said aluminosilicate-based fibers, said aluminosilicate-based fibers being at least 20 percent by weight crystalline;
- (b) crystalline quartz fibers, and (c) mixtures of (a) and (b), and wherein the combined weight of said aluminosilicate-based fibers and said crystalline quartz fibers is at least 50 percent by weight of the total weight of the nonwoven mat;
- and
- (b) physically entangling at least a portion of said shot-free ceramic oxide fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.