Fire-Retardant Cellulose Insulation With Pre-Drying Borate Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing cellulosic insulation are costly and inefficient, relying on limited recycled feedstocks and requiring excessive fire retardant chemicals due to poor adhesion, which limits its adoption as a viable alternative to fiberglass insulation.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that combines virgin and recycled feedstocks with a liquid fire retardant chemical, such as a borate solution, applied before the drying stage to enhance adhesion and reduce chemical usage, integrated into existing papermaking processes to produce cost-effective fire retardant cellulose insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If powdered borate is used to treat cellulosic insulation, then fire retardant characteristics are achieved, but adhesion to cellulose fibers is poor and considerable amounts of treatment material are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the fire retardant treatment material from powdered (solid) form to liquid form. This parameter change enables the treatment material to penetrate and adhere to cellulose fibers more effectively, reducing the quantity needed while maintaining fire retardant characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs liquid application methods (hydraulic principle) to deliver the fire retardant treatment material to the cellulosic insulation. The liquid form allows for uniform distribution and better contact with the fibers compared to powdered application, improving adhesion and reducing material loss.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional recycled feedstock is used, then production cost is reduced, but insufficient material volume is produced to meet market demand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines conventional recycled feedstock with alternative feedstock sources (such as wood construction debris and other cellulosic materials) to increase the total volume of insulation material produced. This merging of feedstock sources maintains cost-effectiveness while meeting market demand.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional feedstock system that can process various types of cellulosic materials through the same manufacturing process. This universality allows the system to accommodate different feedstock sources and adjust production volume to meet market demand while maintaining cost efficiency.
3Reliability
If liquid borate is applied after dewatering stage, then fire retardant material is applied to fibers, but the method is of limited commercial value and does not adequately address adhesion difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the fire retardant treatment material to the cellulosic insulation during the dewatering stage rather than after it. This preliminary action allows the treatment material to be applied when the fibers are still moist and more receptive, significantly improving adhesion and making the process more commercially viable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the moisture present during the dewatering stage as an intermediary medium to facilitate the application and adhesion of the liquid borate treatment material to the cellulose fibers. This intermediary moisture enhances the bonding between the treatment material and the fibers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces processing costs, improves fire retardant material retention, and allows for the use of a broader range of feedstocks, resulting in a more effective and sustainable cellulose insulation product with enhanced fire retardancy characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
applied before the drying stage to enhance adhesion
Data Source
AI summary
A method for making fire retardant material including fire retardant cellulosic insulation is described. The method includes an arrangement for adding one or more feedstocks and a fire retardancy chemical compound to a common blend tank prior to feedstock drying. The one or more feedstocks may include at least one virgin pulp stock feed and at least one recycled material stock feed. The amount and type of both the virgin feedstock and the recycled material feedstock is selectable. Old newsprint (ONP) may be one type of recycled material feedstock. Another suitable type of recycled material feedstock is old corrugated containers (OCC). The method further includes retaining the fiber feedstock and the chemical compound together for enough time to ensure adherence or impregnations of enough of the chemical to the fibers after the drying process. Fluffing or fiberizing of the treated fibers may be accomplished under less severe conditions than ordinarily employed when making conventional cellulose insulation.