Method of forming thermal insulation

A method of forming thermal insulation comprising:

• (a) forming recycled cotton fibers into a relatively loose mass,
• (b) impregnating the cotton fibers with a liquid fire retardant by spraying the liquid fire retardant onto the mass of cotton fibers, compacting the mass of fibers into a dense mass to force the liquid fire retardant throughout the mass of fibers, and holding the compacted, dense mass of cotton fibers for a predetermined time sufficient to permit the liquid fire retardant to migrate throughout the cotton fibers and to impregnate such cotton fibers substantially uniformly,
• (c) drying the impregnated cotton fibers by forming the cotton fibers into a relatively loose mass and subjecting the same to heated air until substantially dry,
• (d) blending the impregnated, dry cotton fibers with a minor amount of synthetic springy fibers having increased stiffness and resiliency than the cotton fibers to provide increased bulk or loft to the insulation being formed,
• (e) blending the cotton and springy fibers with a minor amount of bi-component, bonding fibers having core components and sheath components, the sheath components having a lower melting temperature than the core components and the springy fibers,
• (f) forming the blended cotton, springy and bi-component fibers into a composite web having a thickness sufficient to provide the desired insulation value and a width sufficient to provide a plurality of juxtaposed individual batts of insulation,
• (g) heating the composite web to a temperature to soften the sheath components of the bonding fibers but insufficient to affect the core components to cause the sheath components to bond to adjacent cotton and springy fibers to secure the fibers together into a self-sustaining composite web,
• (h) slitting the bonded composite web longitudinally into relatively narrow strips having widths corresponding to the width of the individual batts of insulation being formed, and
• (i) severing the strips into predetermined lengths to form individual batts of insulation.

An automated method of forming thermal insulation comprising

• feeding bales of compacted recycled cotton fibers through a bale breaker and a pre-opener to loosen the compacted fibers and to form a relatively loose mass of cotton fibers,
• feeding the mass of cotton fibers from the pre-opener to a liquid fire retardant applicator,
• applying a liquid fire retardant to the cotton fibers in the liquid fire retardant applicator,
• feeding the cotton fibers from the liquid fire retardant applicator into a first bale press,
• compressing the cotton fibers to which the liquid fire retardant has been applied into a highly compressed state to force the liquid fire retardant into and throughout the mass of cotton fibers,
• conveying the compressed mass of fibers from the bale press along a predetermined path of travel for a period of time sufficient for the liquid fire retardant to migrate substantially throughout the mass of cotton fibers and through an opener to loosen the fibers into a relatively loose mass,
• drying the loosened fibers to a substantially dry state by conveying the fibers through a hot box and a dryer,
• conveying the dry, fire retardant treated fibers from the dryer through a willow mixing unit while applying a small amount of moisture thereto and mixing therewith a predetermined amount of dry fire retardant granules,
• conveying the treated cotton fibers from the willow mixing unit into a second bale press and baling the treated cotton fibers into bales,
• storing the bales of treated cotton fibers until needed,
• feeding the bales of treated cotton fibers through at least one bale breaker to loosen the compacted fibers and delivering the loosened fibers onto a feed conveyor,
• feeding bales of springy fibers through a bale breaker to loosen the compacted fibers and delivering a predetermined amount of the loosened springy fibers onto the feed conveyor with the loosened cotton fibers,
• feeding bales of bi-component bonding fibers through a bale breaker to loosen the compacted fibers and delivering a predetermined amount of bi-component fibers onto the feed conveyor with the loosened cotton and springy fibers,
• passing the cotton, springy and bi-component fibers through a picker and a fine opener to open further and thoroughly blend the cotton, springy and bi-component fibers,
• conveying the blend of fibers from the picker and fine opener through a composite web forming means to form a composite web of predetermined width and thickness, and
• conveying the composite web through an oven while heating the composite web of fibers above the softening temperature of the bi-component fibers but below the melting temperature of the springy fibers to cause the bi-component fibers to adhere to the other fibers and secure the fibers together to form a substantially structurally stable batt of insulation.