The present invention provides a binder for inorganic fibers characterized by containing (A) 100 parts by mass of a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin having a degree of polymerization of 100-3500, (B) 1-50 parts by mass of a metal salt, and (C) 3 parts by mass of an ammonia denatured product of a copolymerization product containing maleic anhydride. By using the binder for inorganic fibers according to the present invention, it is possible to produce an inorganic fiber mat having a high recovery rate comparable to that of phenol resins. In addition, the amount of volatile organic compounds released from such an inorganic fiber mat is extremely low.

A porous body including an inorganic fiber and an organic binder, wherein the average fiber diameter of the inorganic fiber is 2.0 μm or less, the amount of the inorganic fiber is 90% by mass or more, the amount of the organic binder is 0.5% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, the organic binder contains an elastomer, and the bulk density of the porous body is 30 kg/m.sup.3 or less.

An aqueous binder composition. The aqueous binder composition is obtainable by radically initiated polymerization of vinyl acetate and ethylene, in the presence of polyvinyl alcohol in an aqueous medium, wherein (a) 50 to 94 wt % of vinyl acetate, (b) 5 to 40 wt % of ethylene, (c) 0.2 to 5 wt % of acrylamide and/or methacrylamide, and (d) 0.2 to 5 wt % of maleic anhydride and/or maleic acid are copolymerized in the presence of a polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of 80 to 99 mol %. The amounts in wt % are each based on the total weight of the comonomers and add up in each case to 100 wt %.

A fibrous insulation product is discloses comprising a plurality of randomly oriented fibers and a thermoset aqueous binder composition at least partially coating said fibers. The binder composition comprises at least one long-chain polyol having at least two hydroxyl groups and a number average molecular weight of at least 2,000 Daltons, a cross-linking agent comprising at least two carboxylic acid groups, and a short-chain polyol having at least two hydroxyl groups and a number average molecular weight less than 2,000 Daltons, wherein a ratio of long-chain polyol to short-chain polyol is from 0.1/0.9 to 0.9/0.1.

A method of growing plants in a coherent growth substrate product is provided and includes: providing at least one coherent growth substrate product comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition; positioning one or more seeds, seedlings, cuttings or plants in contact with the growth substrate product; and irrigating the growth substrate product. The aqueous binder composition prior to curing includes a component (i) in the form of one or more oxidized lignins, a component (ii) in the form of one or more cross-linkers, and a component (iii) in the form of one or more plasticizers.

A fibrous insulation product having a plurality of randomly oriented glass fibers and a binder composition that holds the glass fibers together is disclosed. The fibrous insulation product has an R-value in the range of 10 to 54 and, after curing, has a density, when uncompressed, in the range of 0.30 pcf to 2.7 pcf. Furthermore, the fibrous insulation product includes glass fibers that, prior to the application of the binder composition, have an average fiber diameter less than 15 HT and a quantity of binder that is in the range of 2% to 10% by weight of the fibrous insulation product. The fibrous insulation product also has an average fiber diameter to density ratio (Fd/D) of less than or equal to 40 and a comfort factor less than or equal to 3.417(Fd/D)+60.

The present invention describes a mineral wool product comprising mineral fibers bound by a binder resulting from the curing of a binder composition comprising a phenol-formaldehyde-based resin, and/or a carbohydrate containing component; a hydrophobic agent comprising: (i) at least one silicone compound, such as silicone resin, such as a reactive silicone resin, such as a reactive silicone resin chosen from the group of polyalkylethoxysiloxane, polymethylethoxysiloxane, polyphenylethoxysiloxane, polyphenylsiloxane, polyphenylmethylsiloxane; (ii) at least one hardener, such as silane, such as alkyltriethoxysilane, such as octyltriethoxysilane; (iii) at least one emulsifier; as insulation of a metallic structure, said structure having an operating temperature between 0-650° C., such as between 25-500° C., such as between 70-300° C., such as between 300-650° C.

Aqueous cellulosic binder comprising modified cellulose (carboxymethylcellulose and/or sodium carboxymethylcellulose), water, and optionally binder modifier (crosslinking agent and/or wet strength agent); with a weight ratio of water modified cellulose of 99.9:0.1 to 1,000:500, with a weight ratio of binder modifier:modified cellulose of 1:2 to 1:1,000; wherein crosslinking agent comprises carboxylic acid having two or more carboxyl groups; and wherein wet strength agent comprises a reactive functional group (halide, chloride, fluoride, hydroxyl). A method of making aqueous cellulosic binder comprising contacting modified cellulose with water to form modified cellulose solution; and optionally contacting modified cellulose solution with binder modifier to form aqueous cellulosic binder. A nonwoven fabric comprising fiber web (85-99.9 wt. %); and cured cellulosic binder (0.1-15 wt. %). An article formed from the nonwoven fabric. A method of making nonwoven fabric comprising forming fiber web; contacting web with aqueous cellulosic binder to form binder impregnated fiber web; and curing to form the nonwoven fabric.

Disclosed herein is a binder system for nonwoven fiber mats that provides desirable properties to the nonwoven mat including desirable porosity, desirable surface properties e.g., desirable wettability and/or moisture resistance, and enhanced tensile strength. The system includes a two-part binder that includes (1) a formaldehyde-free carbohydrate-based binder and (2) a formaldehyde-free hydrophobic acrylic-based hinder.

The present invention relates to a textile fiber structure comprising man-made fibers fortified by a binder comprising a polymer latex obtained from the emulsion polymerization in aqueous medium of a mixture of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising: (a) an aliphatic conjugated diene (b) a vinyl aromatic compound; (c) an ethylenically unsaturated silane bearing at least one silicon bonded hydrolysable group, and (d) an ethylenically unsaturated acid
and to its use in construction applications, and to the use of the above binder to fortify textile fiber structures.