Patent Grant
9889579
The present invention generally relates to gypsum board, and more specifically to gypsum board formed from gypsum slurries mixed with foam and one or more coalescing agents.
Gypsum board is typically formed as a composite material, comprising a gypsum layer or core that is sandwiched between two paper cover sheets or facers at the front (face) and back of the board. The physical properties of the gypsum board are influenced by the physical properties of the gypsum core, the facers and the facer/gypsum core bond.
Conventional gypsum cores have a foamed structure that comprises air bubbles dispersed in a solid matrix made mainly of intertwining gypsum crystals and, to a lesser extent, starch and other additives. The gypsum core is commonly produced as a homogenous mixture of a gypsum slurry and a pre-generated foam. Gypsum slurries are well known in the art and are typically prepared as a combination of dry and wet ingredients. The dry ingredients generally comprise calcium sulfate hemihydrate (stucco) combined with additives such as fiberglass, an accelerator, a natural polymer (e.g., starch) and/or other dry additives as are known in the art. The wet ingredients generally comprise a mixture of gauging water, paper pulp and other additives as are known in the art that can be added to the water or that come in a liquid state (e.g., retarder, etc.). The mixture of wet ingredients is often referred to as the “pulp paper solution”, and provides a significant portion of the water that forms the gypsum slurry.
The foam is made using a foam generator and typically comprises foaming water, a foaming agent or soap, and air. The foam is continuously fed to the gypsum slurry in a mixing chamber or mixer to produce a foamed gypsum slurry. The air content of the gypsum core depends on the amount of foam and the efficiency and stability of the foam, as well as the other components used to form the gypsum core. The resulting gypsum core commonly contains about 50% to about 80% air by volume.
The foamed gypsum slurry exits the mixer and is transferred to a canister and then a boot, where it is discharged onto and spreads out over a moving, continuous bottom facing material. Alternatively, the foam may be introduced to the gypsum slurry in the canister and is discharged from the boot. A moving, continuous top facing material is placed atop the slurry, so that the slurry is sandwiched between the top and bottom facing materials to form the board. The board then passes through a forming station that forms the wallboard to the desired thickness and width. The board then travels along a belt line for several minutes, during which time the stucco rehydration reaction occurs, wherein the calcium sulfate hemihydrate reacts with water to form the gypsum crystal matrix and the board stiffens. The boards are then cut into a desired length and then fed into a large, continuous kiln for drying. During drying, the excess water (free water) is evaporated from the gypsum core while the chemically bound water is retained in the newly formed gypsum crystals.
The bubble structure—i.e. the size and distribution of the air bubbles in the gypsum core—affects the physical properties of the gypsum board, such as the nail pull resistance and other physical characteristics. In general, the wider and/or denser the solid matrix between the air bubbles, the stronger the gypsum core. For a given volume of air, compositions with a smaller number of large bubbles will tend to have a wider solid matrix between bubbles, compared to compositions with a greater number of smaller bubbles.
In recent years, the gypsum board industry has moved toward the production of wallboard that has reduced board weight, while maintaining all of the ASTM material standards. Controlling the size and distribution of the bubbles in the gypsum core has been one of the key methods used to reduce board weight while maintaining the facer/gypsum core bond and nail pull resistance. These efforts have largely been directed to controlling the foam stability. In conventional production methods, controlling foam stability and its interaction with the gypsum slurry when mixed together is a critical factor in controlling the size and distribution of the air bubbles in the gypsum core. As used herein, the gypsum slurry refers to the calcium sulfate hemihydrate (stucco) and additives in water as described above.
The size of the air bubbles in the gypsum core can be controlled by selecting a foaming agent having an appropriate stability. The use of less-stable foaming agents will increase the coalescence of the bubbles, which generally results in larger and more discrete air bubbles in the gypsum core. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,085,929 and 5,116,671 to Bruce et al. describe the use of a low stability foam to improve the core structure. Examples of commercially available low stability foams include Alpha Foamer® (Stepan Co.—Northfield, Ill.), and Hyonic® PFM-10 and PFM-15 (GEO Specialty Chemical—Ambler, Pa.).
The stability of a foaming agent can be manipulated by various means known in the art, including varying the percentage of ethoxylated groups —(OC2H4)— in the foaming agent compound, changing its chain length, and modifying the ratio of linear and branched structures. An example of a stable soap that is commonly used in the industry is an ethoxylated C8 to C12 sulfonate compound having about 2.5% ethoxylated groups. An unstable soap is generally defined as a soap that has very little or no ethoxylated groups.
Alternatively, the bubble structure can be controlled by combining stable and unstable soaps in varying ratios. The combination of stable and unstable foaming agents can have a defined ratio (e.g., 85% unstable and 15% stable), or can have a ratio that varies based on changes in process parameters during production. U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,510 to Sucech describes a two-part soap system containing a blend of stable and unstable soaps. The ratio of stable/unstable soaps is adjusted to control the stability of the resulting foam and improve the core structure.
Although it is possible to adjust the ratio of stable/unstable soaps in situ at a production facility, this requires that a number of pre-blended stable/unstable soaps be available at the plant floor. Consequently, the use of a variable ratio of stable/unstable foaming agents involves the additional expense of maintaining an inventory of two or more soaps and multiple soap blends at the production facility. Thus, it would be desirable to have an alternative method of controlling the bubble structure of the gypsum core that may be readily adjusted in situ, without requiring the plant to maintain an inventory of multiple soaps and soap blends.
Gypsum slurry compositions are disclosed that comprise stucco, gauging water and a foam that comprises foaming water, a foaming agent and air, and first and second coalescing agents having different cloud point temperatures. The first and second coalescing agents have a blended cloud point temperature that is lower than the mix temperature. In one embodiment, the blended cloud point temperature is lower than the mix temperature by about 5° F. to about 30° F., and more preferably by about 5° F. to about 10° F.
In an alternative embodiment, a method for making a gypsum slurry composition is disclosed that comprises the steps of providing stucco and gauging water, generating a foam comprising foam water, a foaming agent and air, and mixing the stucco, gauging water and foam to form a gypsum slurry. First and second coalescing agents having different cloud point temperatures are added to the gypsum slurry, wherein the first and second coalescing agents have a blended cloud point temperature that is lower than the mix temperature. In one embodiment, the blended cloud point temperature is lower than the mix temperature by about 5° F. to about 30° F., and more preferably by about 5° F. to about 10° F.
In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises the step of determining the mix temperature of the gypsum slurry. The first and second coalescing agents are added in a ratio that provides a blended cloud point temperature that is lower that the mix temperature by about 5° F. to about 30° F., and more preferably by about 5° F. to about 10° F.
Compositions and methods for controlling the foam structure of a gypsum core are disclosed, that permit the weight of the gypsum board to be reduced while maintaining desirable board properties (e.g., nail pull resistance, humidified bond, deflection, etc.). The gypsum core composition comprises a mixture of a gypsum slurry, a pre-generated foam, and one or more coalescing agents. In a preferred embodiment, the pre-generated foam is formed using a stable soap. The bubble structure of the gypsum core is controlled by varying the ratio of the coalescing agent to the soap. In a further preferred embodiment, the bubble structure is controlled by varying the ratio between multiple coalescing agents and their ratios to the soap.
Previous efforts to control the foam structure have been directed to the use of defoaming agents and the sensitivity of the defoaming agent to the temperature of the gypsum core composition. The use of weak defoaming agents, such as polyamines or chemistries based upon polydimethylsiloxane with aminoalkyl and polyether groups, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,016,961 to Martin et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Such defoaming agents tend to cause the bubbles to simply collapse rather than coalesce together. Consequently, the use of defoaming agents may require increased amounts of soap to compensate for the loss of air volume.
In contrast to defoaming agents, coalescing agents tend to cause the bubbles to merge or fuse together into a larger bubble, which maintains the air volume (foam volume). Thus, the use of coalescing agents typically requires less soap compared to defoaming agents. The activity of the coalescing agent is affected by the temperature of the foamed gypsum slurry. Other process parameters may also affect the coalescing activity, including soap usage, foam weight (foam water and air), stiffening time, stucco particle size, fluidity (slump), water to stucco ratio, stucco impurities, and where the coalescing agent is added in the process.
In general, coalescing agents react and destabilize the bubbles in the foamed gypsum slurry, coalescing them into larger ones, when the temperature of the slurry approaches the cloud point (TCP) of the coalescing agent—i.e. the temperature at which the coalescing agent solution loses clarity. For purposes of the coalescing reaction, the operative mix temperature of the slurry is believed to be at or near the initial mix temperature of the foamed gypsum slurry, which is largely determined by the temperature of the stucco (generally ranging between about 130° F. to 210° F.) and the water temperature. Although the stucco reaction is exothermic and increases the mix temperature, almost all of the heat of the exothermic reaction is evolved after the board becomes solid and the bubbles can no longer coalesce. Thus, the operative mix temperature for coalescing activity is believed to be at or near the initial mix temperature of the foamed gypsum slurry, while the slurry is still fluid.
It is generally desirable that the coalescing agent have a TCP that is lower than the mix temperature of the foamed gypsum slurry. If the mix temperature greatly exceeds the TCP, the coalescing agent may become too active and can result in paper blisters and blows—i.e. small and large areas where the paper has separated from the gypsum core.
The mix temperature and other process parameters may change during a given day, week, or seasonally. Applicants have found that the cloud point of the coalescing agent may be adjusted by combining or blending multiple coalescing agents with different cloud points in varying ratios. This multiple coalescing agent system allows the coalescing reaction to be adjusted in situ during production, to quickly react to changes in the process parameters and provide increased flexibility to the manufacturing process. The coalescing agents may be added diluted or as is, separately or in tandem, and may introduced with different components of the composition and/or at different locations in the production process, such as by addition to the soap, foam water, gauging water, pulp water, to the mixer, canister, boot, slurry, and/or to the foam. The flexibility of changing the type, ratio, and introduction locations of the coalescing agents makes this process controllable and minimizes the risk of undesirable process issues such as blisters and blows or other quality issues. All these additions may be performed in situ to allow control of the foam structure in the gypsum core during the production process, although ex-situ preparations also are possible.
Coalescing agents are available that have cloud points ranging from about 60° F. to about 140° F. (16° C. to 60° C.). By combining coalescing agents with different cloud points and varying their ratios, it is possible to adjust the cloud point of the coalescing agent or coalescing agent blend within this range. Thus, the cloud point may be optimized for the specific mix temperature, fluidity and other process parameters that may change during a given day, week, or seasonally.
It is generally desirable to select coalescing agents that can be combined in varying ratios to adjust the blended TCP in a range that corresponds to the expected range of the operative mix temperature. The mix temperature is typically found to range from about 85° F. to about 120° F. The cloud point of the coalescing agent is preferably lower than or near the mix temperature.
In one embodiment, the combination of coalescing agents comprises a first coalescing agent that has a TCP that is about 68° F. and a second coalescing agent that has a TCP that is about 110° F. The mix temperature of the gypsum slurry can be determined during production and the ratio of the coalescing agents can readily be adjusted in situ to vary the blended TCP between 68° F. and 110° F., as may be appropriate for the determined mix temperature. In a preferred embodiment, the coalescing agent has a blended TCP that is lower than the mix temperature by about 5° F. to 30° F., and more preferably by about 5° F. to 10° F.
Applicants have found that controlling the ratio of coalescing agents to optimize the cloud point temperature relative to the mix temperature results in improved gypsum core void structures, nail pull resistance, and paper/gypsum core bonding. Board weight can be reduced while maintaining good board properties (nail pull, humidified bond, deflection, etc.). In addition, this adjustable coalescing agent system is much more flexible in reacting to parameter changes during the manufacturing process. By controlling the type, ratio, and introduction location of the coalescing agents or coalescing agent blend, the cloud point may be quickly and easily adjusted to achieve the desired bubble structure. This approach gives the ability to immediately react to variations in mix temperature, mix fluidity (slump) and other process parameters including, soap usage, foam weight, stiffening time, stucco particle size, water to stucco ratio, etc., by adjusting the amount and/or ratio of the coalescing agents to achieve the desired core structure and to reduce or eliminate the tendency to form blisters or blows, or other quality issues.
This system also allows the manufacturing plants to use one soap type for all products and to use the coalescing agent only for products on an as needed basis. The amount of coalescing agent added to the soap (percentage of coalescing agent on soap) can be changed for each product to meet the physical property requirements for a given product type (i.e. strength, weight, etc.). Generally, the usage level of the coalescing agent on a soap basis can vary from plant to plant and it depends on process parameters such as mix fluidity, mix temperature, soap usage, setting time, type of stucco, the location where the foam is added, the location where the coalescing agent is added and other process factors. In one embodiment, the usage level of the coalescing agent can vary from 1% up to 25% on soap.
The levels of coalescing agents or blends can be controlled through feed and control systems. The coalescing agents can be pre-blended in various ratios or added in a holding tank or mixing tank prior to addition to the foam, and can be introduced to the foam separately or in tandem, either diluted or as is. The coalescing agents can also be introduced at different entry locations in the manufacturing process—e.g., added to the soap, foam water, gauging water, pulp water, to the mixer, boot, canister, slurry, and/or to the foam. Alternatively, the coalescing agents may be added directly to the foam at a later stage. All these additions may be done in situ in order to control the distribution of the foam bubbles in the gypsum core during the manufacturing process. Ex-situ methods are also possible.
In a preferred embodiment, the coalescing agents have a delayed coalescing activity that takes place within the stiffening time of the mix, and not spontaneously. Thus, within a few seconds after the coalescing agent is mixed with the foamed slurry, the coalescing action starts and the size and distribution of the air voids in the core changes. For example, methods for delaying the action of a coalescing agent based on the mix temperature are known in the art, as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0237756 to Lee et al., which is also incorporated herein in its entirety. The coalescing reaction does not happen immediately, but is time dependent and typically starts within a few seconds after the coalescing agent is mixed with the foamed slurry. The coalescing action continues until the mixture is set or stiff enough that it no longer allows the bubbles to coalesce.
In one embodiment, the coalescing agent comprises a polyether block copolymer surfactant, such as are commercially available from BASF Corporation (Florham Park, N.J.). In a preferred embodiment, the coalescing agent is an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymer (i.e. EO/PO), and more preferably a reverse block copolymer (i.e. PO/EO). It is further preferred that the coalescing agent has an ethylene oxide (EO) or hydrophilic block content of from about 10 to about 50 wt %. In the case of a block copolymer, the EO content is preferably in the range of between about 20 to about 45 wt %, and in the case of a reverse block copolymer, the EO content is preferably in the range of between about 20 to about 45 wt %.
In an alternative embodiment, the coalescing agent comprises an alkoxylated alcohol surfactant, such as a fatty alcohol alkoxylate. Exemplary alkoxylated alcohol surfactants are commercially available from BASF Corporation, and comprise the reaction product of linear and/or branched alcohol(s) and a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxides, containing a mixed chain of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide terminated by a hydroxyl group. In a preferred embodiment, the alcohol contains 6 to 18 carbon atoms and the number of moles of lower alkylene oxide (2 or 3 carbon atoms) is from 3 to 12. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the alkoxylated alcohol surfactant comprises a C6-C10 fatty alcohol condensed with 6 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide and 3 moles of propylene oxide.
In another embodiment, the coalescing agent has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of from about 1 to about 31, or about 1 to about 15. In the case of an EO/PO block copolymer, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance is preferably in a range of between about 7 to about 15, and in the case of a reverse block copolymer, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance is preferably in a range of between about 1 to about 7.
In yet another embodiment, the coalescing agent has an average molecular weight of from about 1000 to about 4000. In the case of an EO/PO block copolymer, the average molecular weight is preferably in a range of between about 2000 to about 3500, and in the case of a reverse block copolymer, the average molecular weight is preferably in a range of between about 2000 to about 3500.
The following examples and the techniques disclosed herein are included to demonstrate embodiments that have been found to function well in the practice of the invention, and thus can be considered to constitute preferred modes for its practice. However, those of skill in the art should, in light of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can be made in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain a like or similar result without departing from the scope of the invention.
Gypsum board having improved nail pull strength was produced using coalescing agents. Foamed gypsum slurries were prepared and gypsum boards were formed in the laboratory, with and without a coalescing agent as set forth in Table I. Board 1 was a control board made with no coalescing agent. Board 2 was made with the coalescing agent Lumiten 4425 (BASF 8915). Additional components of the gypsum slurry include: a ball mill accelerator, BMA (National Gypsum Company); a retarder, Plast Retard L (SICIT 2000 SpA); a dispersant, Gypflow TF (Handy Chemicals); and a surfactant, Cedapal (Stepan Company).
The board weight and nail pull resistance of the resulting boards was measured as described in ASTM C 473 Standard Test Methods for Physical Testing of Gypsum Panel Products. The bubble structure of the gypsum cores was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 50× magnification. The photographs of
The data in Table II and
The data also shows that the coalescing agent does not act as a strong defoamer, but instead acts to coalesce the small bubbles into larger ones. The number of air bubbles in the control is dramatically reduced from 236 in the control to 18 with coalescing agent, whereas the void area (VA) is only reduced from 67% in the control to 50.5% with coalescing agent. Similarly,
Gypsum board having reduced weight and increased nail pull resistance was produced by adjusting the relative concentration of coalescing agent. A foamed gypsum slurry was prepared as set forth in Table III, and gypsum boards formed as described in Example 2 above.
The board weight and nail pull resistance of the gypsum board (Board 3) was measured and the bubble structure of the gypsum core was analyzed by SEM, as described in Example 1 above. The bubble structure is shown in
The relationship between the cloud point and the mix temperature was investigated by preparing foamed gypsum slurries using coalescing agents with different cloud points, Lumiten 4425 (Board 4) and Lumiten 4426 (BASF 8938) (Board 5). The gypsum slurry had a mix temperature of 119° F., which was very high compared to the cloud point of Lumiten 4425 (TCP 68° F.). The high mix temperature resulted in a very aggressive coalescing action, which produced blisters and blows. To overcome the aggressive coalescing action, it was necessary to reduce the amount of coalescing agent to the point where it was insufficient to coalesce the small bubbles into large bubbles, as shown in
Lumiten 4426 has a higher cloud point (TCP 87° F.) than Lumiten 4425, which permitted a four-fold increase in the amount of coalescing agent in the gypsum slurry—enough to coalesce the small bubbles into large and discrete bubbles, as shown in
The cloud point of the coalescing agent can be adjusted using varying combinations or blends of coalescing agents with different cloud points. Coalescing agents were prepared as 1% solutions in water of different blends of Lumiten 4426 and Lumiten 4425, containing 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% 80% and 100% Lumiten 4426 (with Lumiten 4425 as the remainder). The cloud point of the coalescing agents was determined by measuring the initial temperature at which the solution exhibits the first discernible change in opacity and begins to lose clarity, and the temperature at which the solution became fully opaque (i.e. when the thermometer bulb measuring the temperature of the solution in the middle of a beaker is no longer visible).
The cloud point results are shown in Table VI and
While various embodiments have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
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