# US 7,608,159 B2 · Method of making a nodular inorganic fibrous insulation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,159 B2 - Document ID: US7608159B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/471,255 - Filed: 2006-06-20 - Published: 2006-12-21 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-23 - Assignees: Johns Manville - Inventors: Thomas John Fellinger; Stephen Young; John Brooks Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608159B2 ## CPC - E04B 1/7604: {fillings for cavity walls} - E04F 21/085: {for filling building cavity walls with insulating materials} - 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}) - E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B) ## Abstract A method of forming a nodular insulation material suitable for installation in a cavity, comprising: propelling fibrous nodules at a substrate, wherein the fibrous nodules are formed from inorganic fibers, wherein the majority of the nodules have a maximum dimension of about one-half inch, and contacting the nodules while the nodules are being propelled, with a solution comprising water and a water soluble binder to produce coated nodules, wherein the coated nodules form an insulation on the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a nodular insulation material suitable for installation in a cavity, comprising: propelling fibrous nodules at a substrate, wherein the fibrous nodules are formed from inorganic fibers, wherein a majority of the nodules has a maximum dimension of about one-half inch, and contacting the nodules while the nodules are being propelled, with a solution comprising water and a water soluble binder to produce coated nodules, wherein the coated nodules form a just installed insulation on the substrate, the just installed insulation having a moisture content of less than about 2 pounds per standard wall cavity and and comprising an additive effective for increasing the thermal insulation performance of the insulation, the additive including an infrared radiation blocking agent. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein when the just-installed moisture content of the insulation is less than about 1.5 pounds. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the additive is present in an amount of at least about 8 wt. percent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the nodules are propelled at a cavity to form the insulation in the cavity and wherein the additive is present in an amount of at least about 8 wt. percent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein some of the nodules contact and adhere to at least one wall of the cavity, and some of the nodules contact and adhere to other nodules, to form the insulation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation has an R value from about 12 to about 16 after drying. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation has a density of about 3 PCF or less after drying. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic fibers comprise glass fibers. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the nodules comprise glass fibers bonded together with a cured resin at one or more locations where two or more of the glass fibers cross one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least about 70 percent of the coated nodules have a maximum dimension of one-quarter inch. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least about 80 percent of the coated nodules have a maximum dimension of one-half inch. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein at least about 90 percent of the coated nodules have a maximum dimension of one-half inch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the water soluble binder comprises a partially hydrolyzed polyester oligomer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the binder is present in the insulation in an amount of less than about 6 wt. percent, on a dry solids basis. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the binder is present in the insulation in an amount of less than about 4 wt. percent, on a dry solids basis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the inorganic fibers have an average fiber diameter of 3 microns or less. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate at which the fibrous nodules are propelled comprises a surface of a wall, floor or ceiling cavity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the wall, floor or ceiling cavity is an open cavity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the distance the nodules are propelled is selected to achieve a predetermined density of the nodular insulation material. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the nodules are propelled from a nozzle, and the distance between the nozzle and the substrate is selected to achieve a predetermined density of the nodular insulation material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the fibrous nodules propelled at the substrate is from about 10 to about 50 lbs/mm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the flow rate of the fibrous nodules propelled at the substrate is from about 20 to about 30 lbs/min. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fibrous nodules comprise the additive effective for increasing the thermal insulation performance. ### Claim 24 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the insulation has a density of about 3 PCF or less after drying. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the additive effective for increasing thermal insulation comprises an infrared radiation blocking agent in an amount of at feast about 8%. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the infrared radiation blocking agent comprises B2O3. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fibrous nodules comprise a fire retardant. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the insulation formed on the substrate comprises a fire retardant.