Claims
- 1. A process for manufacturing a furnace filter which comprises (I) applying a fire-retardant latex binder composition to a fiberglass matrix to produce a latex-coated fiberglass matrix, wherein the fire-retardant latex binder composition is comprised of (1) water, (2) a styrene-butadiene rubber, (3) a fatty acid soap, (4) a sulfonate surfactant, (5) an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight of at least 8000, and (6) about 10 phr to about 50 phr of diammonium phosphate, and (II) drying the latex-coated fiberglass matrix to produce the furnace filter.
- 2. A process as specified in claim 1 wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.1 phr to about 5 phr, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.1 phr to about 4 phr, wherein the fatty acid soap is present at a level which is within the range of about 2 phr to about 7 phr, and wherein the diammonium phosphate is present at a level which is within the range of about 15 phr to about 40 phr.
- 3. A process as specified in claim 2 wherein the fire-retardant latex binder composition is sprayed onto the fiberglass matrix and wherein the latex coated fiberglass matrix is dried at a temperature which is within the range of about 110° C. to about 150° C.
- 4. A process as specified in claim 3 wherein the styrene-butadiene rubber contains repeat units that are derived from about 10 weight percent to about 30 weight percent styrene and from about 70 weight percent to about 90 weight percent 1,3-butadiene.
- 5. A process as specified in claim 4 wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a propylene oxide block that has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 2,000 to 12,000.
- 6. A process specified in claim 5 wherein propylene oxide block in the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a molecular weight that represents from 10 weight percent of 50 weight percent of the total molecular weight of the triblock polymer.
- 7. A process as specified in claim 6 wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 1 phr to about 3 phr, and wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.4 phr to about 2 phr.
- 8. A process as specified in claim 7 wherein the latex contains from about 4 phr to about 6 phr of the fatty acid soap.
- 9. A process as specified in claim 8 wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 10,000 to 20,000.
- 10. A process as specified in claim 9 wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a propylene oxide block that has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 2,500 to 8,000.
- 11. A process as specified in claim 10 wherein propylene oxide block in the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a molecular weight that represents from 20 weight percent to 40 weight percent of the total molecular weight of the triblock polymer.
- 12. A process as specified in claim 11 wherein the diammonium phosphate is present at a level which is within the range of about 15 phr to about 40 phr.
- 13. A process as specified in claim 12 wherein the sulfonate surfactant is present at a level which is within the range of about 1.5 phr to about 2.5 phr, and wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer is present at a level which is within the range of about 0.8 phr to about 1.2 phr.
- 14. A process as specified in claim 13 wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 10,500 to 16,000.
- 15. A process as specified in claim 14 wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a propylene oxide block that has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 3,000 to 6,000.
- 16. A process as specified in claim 14 wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a number average molecular weight which is within the range of 11,000 to 14,000.
- 17. A process as specified in claim 15 wherein propylene oxide block in he ethylene oxide/propylene oxide/ethylene oxide triblock polymer has a molecular weight that represents from 25 weight percent to 30 weight percent of the total molecular weight of the triblock polymer.
- 18. A process as specified in claim 17 wherein the styrene-butadiene rubber contains repeat units that are derived from about 15 weight percent to about 25 weight percent styrene and from about 75 weight percent to about 85 weight percent 1,3-butadiene.
Parent Case Info
The following is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/324,184, filed Jun. 2, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,524 B1.
US Referenced Citations (8)