Glass Mat Dimensional Constraint Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current glass mat manufacturing processes fail to effectively reduce product cost while meeting the demands of new and demanding applications, particularly in terms of surface roughness, caliper, tensile strength, and tear strength.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the application of a binder composition with an organic resin to a glass fiber assembly, where the binder is cured under dimensional constraint, preventing expansion and resulting in a glass mat with reduced surface roughness and caliper, and improved tensile strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If glass fibers are naturally packed without dimensional constraint during curing, then the glass mat achieves adequate structural integrity, but the surface roughness and caliper increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensional constraint during the curing process to change the physical state of the glass mat from naturally packed to constrained packed. This parameter change (adding dimensional constraint) reduces surface roughness and caliper while maintaining structural integrity through the binder composition that cures under this constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The binder composition is applied to the glass fiber assembly before curing, creating a preliminary binding structure that enables dimensional constraint during curing. This preliminary action allows the subsequent curing process to occur under constrained conditions, achieving smoother surfaces without compromising the underlying fiber structure.
2Manufacturing precision
If dimensional constraint is applied during binder curing, then surface roughness and caliper are reduced, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The binder composition serves multiple functions: it binds the glass fibers together, enables dimensional constraint during curing, and facilitates the reduction of surface roughness and caliper. By making the binder multi-functional, the patent avoids adding separate complex mechanisms for each function, thereby limiting the increase in manufacturing process complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If chopped strand mat is used with conventional manufacturing processes, then production cost is reduced, but surface roughness and caliper exceed specifications for new applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the use of chopped strand mat (which is cost-effective) but changes the curing parameter by applying dimensional constraint. This allows the low-cost chopped strand mat to achieve the same surface quality as more expensive naturally packed mats, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while improving manufacturing precision.
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
The process achieves a glass mat with significantly reduced surface roughness and caliper, enhanced tensile strength, and improved handling properties, making it suitable for construction products like gypsum wall boards and cement boards.
Implementation Method 1
curing the binder composition while dimensionally constraining the assembly of glass fibers, wherein dimensional constraining includes directly contacting a first major surface and a second major surface of the assembly of glass fibers between two substantially parallel surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a glass mat includes providing an assembly of glass fibers, applying a binder composition to the assembly of glass fibers, wherein the binder includes an organic resin, and curing the binder composition while dimensionally constraining the assembly of glass fibers. Dimensional constraining includes directly contacting a first major surface and a second major surface of the assembly of glass fibers between two substantially parallel surfaces. Further provided is a glass mat that includes an assembly of glass fibers, wherein the assembly of glass fibers are substantially randomly oriented with a tensile anisotropy of less than about 6 in any two directions. The glass mat has a decreased surface roughness and a decreased caliper compared to an equivalent glass mat having an assembly of naturally packed glass fibers with an equivalent fiber diameter size.