CA2163646A1 - Insulation batt with low friction facing - Google Patents
Insulation batt with low friction facingInfo
- Publication number
- CA2163646A1 CA2163646A1 CA 2163646 CA2163646A CA2163646A1 CA 2163646 A1 CA2163646 A1 CA 2163646A1 CA 2163646 CA2163646 CA 2163646 CA 2163646 A CA2163646 A CA 2163646A CA 2163646 A1 CA2163646 A1 CA 2163646A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- batt
- facing
- insulation
- adhered
- less
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 57
- 239000002557 mineral fiber Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 19
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 claims description 12
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 10
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 10
- 239000003365 glass fiber Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000004705 High-molecular-weight polyethylene Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000004831 Hot glue Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 47
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 18
- 239000003063 flame retardant Substances 0.000 description 7
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 7
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 5
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 5
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 description 4
- 244000309464 bull Species 0.000 description 3
- 229910052500 inorganic mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000011707 mineral Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000011490 mineral wool Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005538 encapsulation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000012774 insulation material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 150000002500 ions Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- 239000002655 kraft paper Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 208000018585 Acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 229920001328 Polyvinylidene chloride Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012943 hotmelt Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- PSGAAPLEWMOORI-PEINSRQWSA-N medroxyprogesterone acetate Chemical compound C([C@@]12C)CC(=O)C=C1[C@@H](C)C[C@@H]1[C@@H]2CC[C@]2(C)[C@@](OC(C)=O)(C(C)=O)CC[C@H]21 PSGAAPLEWMOORI-PEINSRQWSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000005022 packaging material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011120 plywood Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000005033 polyvinylidene chloride Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002893 slag Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007655 standard test method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003068 static effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010998 test method Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
- E04B1/62—Insulation or other protection; Elements or use of specified material therefor
- E04B1/74—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls
- E04B1/76—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only
- E04B1/7654—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only comprising an insulating layer, disposed between two longitudinal supporting elements, e.g. to insulate ceilings
- E04B1/7658—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only comprising an insulating layer, disposed between two longitudinal supporting elements, e.g. to insulate ceilings comprising fiber insulation, e.g. as panels or loose filled fibres
- E04B1/7662—Heat, sound or noise insulation, absorption, or reflection; Other building methods affording favourable thermal or acoustical conditions, e.g. accumulating of heat within walls specifically with respect to heat only comprising an insulating layer, disposed between two longitudinal supporting elements, e.g. to insulate ceilings comprising fiber insulation, e.g. as panels or loose filled fibres comprising fiber blankets or batts
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
- E04C2/00—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels
- E04C2/02—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials
- E04C2/10—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials of wood, fibres, chips, vegetable stems, or the like; of plastics; of foamed products
- E04C2/24—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by specified materials of wood, fibres, chips, vegetable stems, or the like; of plastics; of foamed products laminated and composed of materials covered by two or more of groups E04C2/12, E04C2/16, E04C2/20
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Building Environments (AREA)
- Laminated Bodies (AREA)
Abstract
A compressible mineral fiber insulation batt (10) has opposed major surfaces (12) and opposed side surfaces, and a polymeric facing (18) adhered with fastening means (20) to both of the major surfaces (12) to prevent relative movement between the facing (18) and the batt (10), where the facing (18) is less than or equal to 1.02E-5 meters (1 mil) in thickness and the facing (18) is sufficiently low mass as to exhibit a flame spread rating of 25 or less in the adhered condition.
Description
- 216~646 ~2317 DFSC~PTI~
INSULATION BATT WITH LOW FRICTION FACING
~CH2~I~AL FI~
This invention pertains to mineral fiber insulation products. More particularly, this invention relates to mineral fiber insulation batts having a facing adhered thereto.
B~CK~O~ID An~
In the manufacture of insulation batts from mineral fibers, it is a commonly-used practice to fiberize the mineral fibers from molten mineral material to distribute them on a collecting conveyor to form a pack.
Typically the fibers are sprayed with an organic binder, s and the pack is passed through a curing oven. The pack is then cut into individual pieces or batts. In some cases a facing material is added to the pack prior to the cutting step.
One of the uses for insulation batts is to reinsulate the attic spaces of residential dwellings.
Typically, reinsulation batts are unfaced in order to avoid introducing a new vapor barrier within the insulation layers within the attic. Manufacturers' recommendations for reinsulation of attic spaces is to either use an unfaced batt, or to physically perforate the facing on a faced product by providing knife slits or other perforations in the material.
One of the problems with installing additional insulation batts in an attic space is that it is difficult for the insulation batts to be slid into place. The unfaced reinsulation batt has a high coefficient of i AMENDED SHEEl~
IPE~IEP
.
6 ~ 6 ''~3171~
kinetic friction when pushed along the existing surface i.e., the unfaced existing attic insulation. This is particularly true at the edges of the attic space where the roof slope meets the attic floor. The amount of friction between two mineral batts is considerable, and it is not easy to slide the reinsulation batt along the surface of existing batts in the attic space.
Another problem associated with reinsulating residential attic spaces is that the existing and new insulation materials generate significant quantities of dust, which are irritating to the installers. Typically, reinsulation is accomplished as a do-it-yourself project by residential homeowners. It would be beneficial if batts for reinsulating attic spaces were made to be easily slid in place over existing insulation in the attic.
Further, it would be beneficial to provide some means for containing dust associated with the batts used for reinsulation.
Encapsulated insulation packages are known in the - 20 art. Mclaughlin, in U.S. Patent 2,113,068 and Parker, in U.S. Patent 2,913,104, each disclose insulation packages in which mineral wool is covered by a wrapper.
Facings of different materials have been proposed for insulation batts. These include kraft paper, and polyethylene films, as disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,696,138 to Bullock. Bullock teaches a vapor-permeable polyethylene facing on four sides of a batt. The purpose of Bullock's facing is to stop convection from occurring in glass fiber insulation products.
fy~o in Y S ~-~t q,9~7,705 A~Folo~ n i..3ulation produat c~vorc~ ~ith ~ v por ~arricr of 1.02
INSULATION BATT WITH LOW FRICTION FACING
~CH2~I~AL FI~
This invention pertains to mineral fiber insulation products. More particularly, this invention relates to mineral fiber insulation batts having a facing adhered thereto.
B~CK~O~ID An~
In the manufacture of insulation batts from mineral fibers, it is a commonly-used practice to fiberize the mineral fibers from molten mineral material to distribute them on a collecting conveyor to form a pack.
Typically the fibers are sprayed with an organic binder, s and the pack is passed through a curing oven. The pack is then cut into individual pieces or batts. In some cases a facing material is added to the pack prior to the cutting step.
One of the uses for insulation batts is to reinsulate the attic spaces of residential dwellings.
Typically, reinsulation batts are unfaced in order to avoid introducing a new vapor barrier within the insulation layers within the attic. Manufacturers' recommendations for reinsulation of attic spaces is to either use an unfaced batt, or to physically perforate the facing on a faced product by providing knife slits or other perforations in the material.
One of the problems with installing additional insulation batts in an attic space is that it is difficult for the insulation batts to be slid into place. The unfaced reinsulation batt has a high coefficient of i AMENDED SHEEl~
IPE~IEP
.
6 ~ 6 ''~3171~
kinetic friction when pushed along the existing surface i.e., the unfaced existing attic insulation. This is particularly true at the edges of the attic space where the roof slope meets the attic floor. The amount of friction between two mineral batts is considerable, and it is not easy to slide the reinsulation batt along the surface of existing batts in the attic space.
Another problem associated with reinsulating residential attic spaces is that the existing and new insulation materials generate significant quantities of dust, which are irritating to the installers. Typically, reinsulation is accomplished as a do-it-yourself project by residential homeowners. It would be beneficial if batts for reinsulating attic spaces were made to be easily slid in place over existing insulation in the attic.
Further, it would be beneficial to provide some means for containing dust associated with the batts used for reinsulation.
Encapsulated insulation packages are known in the - 20 art. Mclaughlin, in U.S. Patent 2,113,068 and Parker, in U.S. Patent 2,913,104, each disclose insulation packages in which mineral wool is covered by a wrapper.
Facings of different materials have been proposed for insulation batts. These include kraft paper, and polyethylene films, as disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,696,138 to Bullock. Bullock teaches a vapor-permeable polyethylene facing on four sides of a batt. The purpose of Bullock's facing is to stop convection from occurring in glass fiber insulation products.
fy~o in Y S ~-~t q,9~7,705 A~Folo~ n i..3ulation produat c~vorc~ ~ith ~ v por ~arricr of 1.02
2.03~ 5 r~t~r~ (t to 2 ~;1) polyqt~yl~n~ ~hi6 p~o~-~t ic co~rl~t~ly on~-p~ t~d, ~nA th~o i~ ~o ~o~city for AMENDED SHEET
IPEUEP
21;~36~B
2a French Patent No. 2,418,082 teaches a mineral wool sheet onto which a polyvinylidene chloride foil has been fused. The mineral wool sheet ls used to provide thermal or acoustic insulation. German Gebrauchsmuster No. 8505179 describes a mineral fiber insulation batt covered with a metallized polymeric facing adhered to the batt.
Syme in U.S. Patent 4,927,705 describes an insulation product covered with a vapor barrier of 25.4x10-6 to 50.8x10-6 meters (1 to 2 mil) polyethylene.
This product is a completely encapsulated, and there is no porosity for A~/IENDED SHE~T
IP~/EP
- 2i6~646 . ~
~J 1~ ' passing moisture or for enabling compression during packaging. The ability to compress the insulation batt for packaging and have the insulation batt recover to a reasonable thickness once the package is opened for installation in the attic is a product requirement.
A very important aspect of any insulation product for retrofit situations is that the product must be nonflammable, i.e., it must pass the ASTM E84 flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less. One of the problems associated with some of the encapsulated mineral fi~er insulation batts of the prior art is that the adhesive used to adhere the facing to the batt would itself contribute to a flammability problem. The adhesive prevents the product from passing the flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less. Such products invariably require expensive fire retardants to pass the test. Another problem with encapsulated insulation batts proposed to date is that the encapsulation materials prohibitively increase the cost of the insulation batt.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide an encapsulated mineral fiber insulation batt that has a thin facing, low coefficient of sliding friction over existing insulation in the attic, means to adhere the facing to the batt for handleability without using expensive fire retardants and without failing the ASTM
flame spread test. Also, the insulation product should be at least in part highly porous to enable the rapid compression of the batt for packaging, and the batt must be capable of nearly full recovery upon the opening of the package. It is to be understood that although the product of the invention is designed for retrofit insulation in a residential attic, the product can also be used in other insulation applications such as insulating wall cavities, AMEN~ED SHEET
IPE~/EP
2~3646 basement ceilings, residential new construction, and insulation for commercial buildings.
In accordance with the invention there is now provided a compressible mineral fiber insulation batt having opposed major surfaces and opposed side surfaces and a polymeric facing applied to both of the major surfaces, the facing being less than or equal to 25.4x10-6 meters (1 mil) in thickness and being adhered to the batt to prevent relative movement between the facing and the batt, characterised in that the facing - is vapor permeable and is of sufficiently low mass to exhibit a flame spread rating of 25 or less in the adhered condition, that the opposed side surfaces of the batt are covered with a highly porous membrane to enable quick air escape from the batt under conditions of rapid compression, and that the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-fourth of the predetermined thickness.
It has been found that by using a very thin facing material, the product can pass the ASTM flame spread test, even when the facing is adhered to the mineral fiber batt with an adhesive.
The facing material preferably has a thlckness of less than or equal to 15.2x10-6 meters (0.5 mil) and more preferably less than or equal to 10.1x10-6 meters (0.4 mil).
One of the valuable features of the fiber insulation batt of the invention is that the coefficient of kinetic friction of the faced batt is less than 1.0 when the faced batt is dragged across a surface of an unfaced glass fiber batt having a density of about 8.01-AMENDED SHEF~
IP~A/EP
~ 163646-r ~
Il2~171~
12.81 Kg/M3 (0.5 to about 0.8 pounds per cubic foot).
This low coefficient of kinetic friction enables the do-it-yourself attic installation installer to push or slide the batt of the invention across the top of existing insulation in the attic, thereby facilitating easy installation of the retrofit batts into the farthest reaches of an attic.
The polymeric facing is adhered to both major surfaces of the batt with a fastening means. Preferably the fastening means is a small amount of adhesive material. The adhesive material is of a sufficiently small amount as to enable the insulation batt not to exceed a flame spread rating of 25 by the ASTM E84 flame spread test, while ~eing sufficient to ~ond the facing to the mineral fiber batt and enable the batt to be picked up and handled by the facing.
- In another particular embodiment of the polymeric facing is adhered to one or both of the opposed side surfaces of the batt.
~ n~ ~o ~o t~ a~n~ q d~ l~5 Figure I lS a perspect1ve vlew of a mineral fiber insulation batt having-facing material on both the major surfaces and on the sidesurfaceJ c~nd 2 Figure is a schematic view of apparatus used in a test to evaluate the coefficient of kinetic friction of faced insulation batts.
This invention will be described in terms of a AMENDED SHEET
IP~A/EP
2 ~ 636A6 glass fiber insulation batt. It is to be understood that the mineral fiber insulation batt can be comprised of other types of mineral fibers, including fibers made from rock, slag and basalt.
Referring to Fisure l, insulation batt lO is generally rectangular and has major surfaces 12, side - surfaces 14, and end surfaces 16. Attached to the major surfaces is an encapsulation material or polymeric facinq material 18. This material can be anything suitable to contain the dust and provide a low kinetic friction surface. Preferably the material is a polymeric material, and most preferably it is a polyethylene. A specific polyethylene material found to be useful is a high density, high molecular weight polyethylene.
In other embodiments of the invention the facing is comprised of polypropylene. A preferred polypropylene facing is a biaxially oriented polypropyle~e.
The facing on the major surfaces - vapor permeable. A vapor impermeable membrane can be rendered vapor permeable by means of perforating the facing material.
Th~ facing material is less than or equal to 2 5~ C~~
l.0~ 5 meters (~l 0 m ll ~ thickness, preferably less than or equal to 6;l~y 6 meters (O.6 mil) ~n~th1ic~ess, and most preferably less than or equal to s;O~F 6 meters (0.4 mil) in thickness. The facing material must be sufficiently thin to avoid high material costs and to minimize fuel contributed during fire testing.
The facing material is attached to the major surfaces of the batt by any suitable fastening means, such as adhesive 20. The fastening means could also be, for example, velcro attachment means, sticking or a heat sealing process. A suitable adhesive is a pressure AMENDED SHEET
IP~/EP
~3~
sensitive hot melt, such as HL-2707 ~rom H.B. Fuller Company, applied at a rate of 2.13~ G.../l~ (0.2 grams per square foot).
The fastening means must provide a bond between the facing and the mineral fiber batt sufficient to enable the batt to be handled by the facing material. Therefore, the fastening means acts to prevent relative movement between the facing and the batt.
The fastening means, particularly if it is an adhesive, must be of sufficiently low mass so as to not unduly increase the flame spread of the batt with the facing in the adhered condition. The flame spread test is the ASTM E84 test. The measurement under the ASTM E84 flame spread test must be taken with the facing material in the adhered condition. Further, the mass of the facing material and the adhesive material is sufficiently low to pass the flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less in the absence of fire retardants. For purposes of this invention, the term "absence of fire 20 retardants" means that the material either actually contains no fire retardants, or contains fire retardants in such an insubstantial amount that the facing, in the adhered condition, would still pass the flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less if the fire retardant were left out of the product. This provides a considerable enhancement over the art in terms of material costs since a fire retardant is not needed. The test consists of determining the extent to which flames travel along the product under specified conditions when the product is exposed to a flame at one end.
As shown in Figure 1, the side surfaces are u,.c~,ed. Thic ~r-~ r-pi~ cc~,~ro~ion of tho b~tt du.i..y a p-~ak-~in~ qp~r~t;~n 5i~c~ m~st ;n~l t;on ~t . I
AMENDED SHEET
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'~ 1 6 ~
II2~71.
~E~ ~h~y ~o~osso~ A~n~ p~k~in~ a~d~r~ncport~
p4r-~-nt f~r th~ w;~;n th~_in~ ti~n F~ckage-~~rcl~s~ pi~y ~ri~ th~ ~m~c~i~n ~ Q~, ~ ho~m in Fig~ a, ~h~ inc~ t;~n h-tt 6a~b~
provided with side facing material 22. The side facing material can be any material to contain the dust within the insulation product, while still being sufficiently porous to enable the rapid evacuation of air from within the batt during compression. The most expedient facing material may be the same facing material used on the major surfaces, but being highly perforated. Alternatively, the facing material can be cut to produce flaps to enable air escape during compression, but present a rather solid-looking appearance under static conditions. Additional side facing materials useful for this invention would be any scrim or other open-weave material, woven or nonwoven, made from polymeric fibers or glass fibers. Preferably, the side facing material has openings in at least 10 percent of its surface during the compression process. In one embodiment of the invention, the side facing material - 22, as well as the facing material 18, is adhered to the batt.
The addition of the facing material to what would normally be an unfaced batt, imparts a structure to the batt which enhances its handleability and installability in residential attics. Further, since the facing material covers the batt, any surface irregularities which would constitute a visual surface defect are covered up.
Consequently, a certain amount of scrap or recycled glass fiber material may be added to the product without detracting from its visual appearance. Further, the mineral fiber insulation batt can be made with a lower amount of organic binder material than would otherwise be AMENOED SHEET
IPE~/EP
I
2~63G'l~
_g _ the case. Preferably, the amount of binder material is within the range of from about 1 to about 7 percent by weight of the unfaced batt. Most preferably, the binder comprises between 1 and 4.6 percent by weight of the unfaced batt. Such binders are well known to those skilled in the art.
- One attribute of the facing material is that it must be sufficiently slippery to enable the batt to be pushed or slid into place on top of the existing attic insulation material. Preferably, the coefficient of kinetic friction of the faced batt is less than 1.0, when the faced batt is pulled or dragged across a surface of an unface~ 71ass fiber batt having a density of about 8.01-12.81 ~ M3 (0.5 to about 0.8 pounds per cubic foot).
ASTM test D 2534-88 is a standard test method for determining the coefficient of kinetic friction for wax coatings. A test dynamically similar to D 2534-88 was used to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction of various facing materials suitable for use with mineral fiber insulation. A reference batt of R-13 glass fiber insulation was construc$ ~ ~ The reference batt has a density of about 11.21 ~ (0.7 pounds per cubic foot) - and measures 3.048 meters by 3.048 meters tone foot by one foot) by about 9.2 cm (3-5/8 inches). The reference batt was faced on the top side and unfaced on the bottom. The batt was dragged at a speed of 50.8 cm (20 inches) per minute across the various surfaces to be tested in accordance with the general principles of ASTM D 2534-88, and the coefficient of kinetic friction was determined by measuring the amount of frictional resistance encountered.
The apparatus used is shown in Fig. ~ in which reference batt 24 having facing 26 is pulled across the testing surface 28. The reference batt was pulled by AMENDED SHEET
IPE~JEP
~ 63~
means of wire 30, which after being turned upwardly around roller 32, was connected to a force measuring device. Any device suitable for measuring the load on the wire, such as a force transducer or Instron load cell 34, could be used. The coefficient of kinetic frlction is the measurement of the frictional force between the bottom surface of the reference batt and the top surface of the testing surface or facing material 28 to be tested.
EXAMPLE
The reference batt was dragged across five different materials according to the test procedure outlined above, with the following results.
Sample~O ~ 1O-6 Coefficient of Friction Unperforated 4.0~ 6 meters (0.4 mil) high density, high molecular weight PlYethYl~e~e~1o-G 0.826 Perforated ~q~ meters (0.4 mil) high density, : 20 high molecular weight polyethylene 0.735 Kraft paper 0.186 AC plywood 2.5 Unfaced glass fiber batt 7.73 25 The above data show that the faced batt has a small fraction of the friction exhibited by the action of sliding one unfaced batt across the other. Preferably, the coefficient of kinetic friction is within the range of from about 0.7 to about 0.9, and most preferably it is anything less than or equal to 1Ø
The fact that the side surfaces of the batt are highly porous not only enables rapid compression by allowing the escape of air during compression, but also AMENDED SHEET
IPE~/EP
71~36~B
facilitates the recovery of the product after the product is unpac~aged in its place of intended use. ~ ~ ~ly, the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-fourth of that predetermined thickness. For example, if the desired nominal thickness of an R-19 glass fiber insulation batt is 15.24 cm (6 inches), the batt can be compressed to a thickness of 3.8 cm (1.5 inches), and upon release from the packaging material, the batt wil~ self-recover to the thickness of 15.24 cm (6 inches). Most preferably, the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-sixth of that predetermined thickness.
It uill bo ~vidont fro~ ths forq1oin~ t~ iou~
~dific~tiona 6-n ~ m-~? t~ t~ nt; ~n 5~h, ho-~v~rr -~o c~n~i~o.ro1 -e bo;~ t;'~;~ th~ -CO~O of h~
t ' i~n~ion I~DUSTRI~' AP~LI~I'TTY
The mineral fiber insulation batt of the invention can be used for additional insulation in the attic space of a residential dwelling which has already been - insulated.
AMENDED SHE i IP~AIEF'
IPEUEP
21;~36~B
2a French Patent No. 2,418,082 teaches a mineral wool sheet onto which a polyvinylidene chloride foil has been fused. The mineral wool sheet ls used to provide thermal or acoustic insulation. German Gebrauchsmuster No. 8505179 describes a mineral fiber insulation batt covered with a metallized polymeric facing adhered to the batt.
Syme in U.S. Patent 4,927,705 describes an insulation product covered with a vapor barrier of 25.4x10-6 to 50.8x10-6 meters (1 to 2 mil) polyethylene.
This product is a completely encapsulated, and there is no porosity for A~/IENDED SHE~T
IP~/EP
- 2i6~646 . ~
~J 1~ ' passing moisture or for enabling compression during packaging. The ability to compress the insulation batt for packaging and have the insulation batt recover to a reasonable thickness once the package is opened for installation in the attic is a product requirement.
A very important aspect of any insulation product for retrofit situations is that the product must be nonflammable, i.e., it must pass the ASTM E84 flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less. One of the problems associated with some of the encapsulated mineral fi~er insulation batts of the prior art is that the adhesive used to adhere the facing to the batt would itself contribute to a flammability problem. The adhesive prevents the product from passing the flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less. Such products invariably require expensive fire retardants to pass the test. Another problem with encapsulated insulation batts proposed to date is that the encapsulation materials prohibitively increase the cost of the insulation batt.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to provide an encapsulated mineral fiber insulation batt that has a thin facing, low coefficient of sliding friction over existing insulation in the attic, means to adhere the facing to the batt for handleability without using expensive fire retardants and without failing the ASTM
flame spread test. Also, the insulation product should be at least in part highly porous to enable the rapid compression of the batt for packaging, and the batt must be capable of nearly full recovery upon the opening of the package. It is to be understood that although the product of the invention is designed for retrofit insulation in a residential attic, the product can also be used in other insulation applications such as insulating wall cavities, AMEN~ED SHEET
IPE~/EP
2~3646 basement ceilings, residential new construction, and insulation for commercial buildings.
In accordance with the invention there is now provided a compressible mineral fiber insulation batt having opposed major surfaces and opposed side surfaces and a polymeric facing applied to both of the major surfaces, the facing being less than or equal to 25.4x10-6 meters (1 mil) in thickness and being adhered to the batt to prevent relative movement between the facing and the batt, characterised in that the facing - is vapor permeable and is of sufficiently low mass to exhibit a flame spread rating of 25 or less in the adhered condition, that the opposed side surfaces of the batt are covered with a highly porous membrane to enable quick air escape from the batt under conditions of rapid compression, and that the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-fourth of the predetermined thickness.
It has been found that by using a very thin facing material, the product can pass the ASTM flame spread test, even when the facing is adhered to the mineral fiber batt with an adhesive.
The facing material preferably has a thlckness of less than or equal to 15.2x10-6 meters (0.5 mil) and more preferably less than or equal to 10.1x10-6 meters (0.4 mil).
One of the valuable features of the fiber insulation batt of the invention is that the coefficient of kinetic friction of the faced batt is less than 1.0 when the faced batt is dragged across a surface of an unfaced glass fiber batt having a density of about 8.01-AMENDED SHEF~
IP~A/EP
~ 163646-r ~
Il2~171~
12.81 Kg/M3 (0.5 to about 0.8 pounds per cubic foot).
This low coefficient of kinetic friction enables the do-it-yourself attic installation installer to push or slide the batt of the invention across the top of existing insulation in the attic, thereby facilitating easy installation of the retrofit batts into the farthest reaches of an attic.
The polymeric facing is adhered to both major surfaces of the batt with a fastening means. Preferably the fastening means is a small amount of adhesive material. The adhesive material is of a sufficiently small amount as to enable the insulation batt not to exceed a flame spread rating of 25 by the ASTM E84 flame spread test, while ~eing sufficient to ~ond the facing to the mineral fiber batt and enable the batt to be picked up and handled by the facing.
- In another particular embodiment of the polymeric facing is adhered to one or both of the opposed side surfaces of the batt.
~ n~ ~o ~o t~ a~n~ q d~ l~5 Figure I lS a perspect1ve vlew of a mineral fiber insulation batt having-facing material on both the major surfaces and on the sidesurfaceJ c~nd 2 Figure is a schematic view of apparatus used in a test to evaluate the coefficient of kinetic friction of faced insulation batts.
This invention will be described in terms of a AMENDED SHEET
IP~A/EP
2 ~ 636A6 glass fiber insulation batt. It is to be understood that the mineral fiber insulation batt can be comprised of other types of mineral fibers, including fibers made from rock, slag and basalt.
Referring to Fisure l, insulation batt lO is generally rectangular and has major surfaces 12, side - surfaces 14, and end surfaces 16. Attached to the major surfaces is an encapsulation material or polymeric facinq material 18. This material can be anything suitable to contain the dust and provide a low kinetic friction surface. Preferably the material is a polymeric material, and most preferably it is a polyethylene. A specific polyethylene material found to be useful is a high density, high molecular weight polyethylene.
In other embodiments of the invention the facing is comprised of polypropylene. A preferred polypropylene facing is a biaxially oriented polypropyle~e.
The facing on the major surfaces - vapor permeable. A vapor impermeable membrane can be rendered vapor permeable by means of perforating the facing material.
Th~ facing material is less than or equal to 2 5~ C~~
l.0~ 5 meters (~l 0 m ll ~ thickness, preferably less than or equal to 6;l~y 6 meters (O.6 mil) ~n~th1ic~ess, and most preferably less than or equal to s;O~F 6 meters (0.4 mil) in thickness. The facing material must be sufficiently thin to avoid high material costs and to minimize fuel contributed during fire testing.
The facing material is attached to the major surfaces of the batt by any suitable fastening means, such as adhesive 20. The fastening means could also be, for example, velcro attachment means, sticking or a heat sealing process. A suitable adhesive is a pressure AMENDED SHEET
IP~/EP
~3~
sensitive hot melt, such as HL-2707 ~rom H.B. Fuller Company, applied at a rate of 2.13~ G.../l~ (0.2 grams per square foot).
The fastening means must provide a bond between the facing and the mineral fiber batt sufficient to enable the batt to be handled by the facing material. Therefore, the fastening means acts to prevent relative movement between the facing and the batt.
The fastening means, particularly if it is an adhesive, must be of sufficiently low mass so as to not unduly increase the flame spread of the batt with the facing in the adhered condition. The flame spread test is the ASTM E84 test. The measurement under the ASTM E84 flame spread test must be taken with the facing material in the adhered condition. Further, the mass of the facing material and the adhesive material is sufficiently low to pass the flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less in the absence of fire retardants. For purposes of this invention, the term "absence of fire 20 retardants" means that the material either actually contains no fire retardants, or contains fire retardants in such an insubstantial amount that the facing, in the adhered condition, would still pass the flame spread test with a flame spread rating of 25 or less if the fire retardant were left out of the product. This provides a considerable enhancement over the art in terms of material costs since a fire retardant is not needed. The test consists of determining the extent to which flames travel along the product under specified conditions when the product is exposed to a flame at one end.
As shown in Figure 1, the side surfaces are u,.c~,ed. Thic ~r-~ r-pi~ cc~,~ro~ion of tho b~tt du.i..y a p-~ak-~in~ qp~r~t;~n 5i~c~ m~st ;n~l t;on ~t . I
AMENDED SHEET
IPE~/EP
'~ 1 6 ~
II2~71.
~E~ ~h~y ~o~osso~ A~n~ p~k~in~ a~d~r~ncport~
p4r-~-nt f~r th~ w;~;n th~_in~ ti~n F~ckage-~~rcl~s~ pi~y ~ri~ th~ ~m~c~i~n ~ Q~, ~ ho~m in Fig~ a, ~h~ inc~ t;~n h-tt 6a~b~
provided with side facing material 22. The side facing material can be any material to contain the dust within the insulation product, while still being sufficiently porous to enable the rapid evacuation of air from within the batt during compression. The most expedient facing material may be the same facing material used on the major surfaces, but being highly perforated. Alternatively, the facing material can be cut to produce flaps to enable air escape during compression, but present a rather solid-looking appearance under static conditions. Additional side facing materials useful for this invention would be any scrim or other open-weave material, woven or nonwoven, made from polymeric fibers or glass fibers. Preferably, the side facing material has openings in at least 10 percent of its surface during the compression process. In one embodiment of the invention, the side facing material - 22, as well as the facing material 18, is adhered to the batt.
The addition of the facing material to what would normally be an unfaced batt, imparts a structure to the batt which enhances its handleability and installability in residential attics. Further, since the facing material covers the batt, any surface irregularities which would constitute a visual surface defect are covered up.
Consequently, a certain amount of scrap or recycled glass fiber material may be added to the product without detracting from its visual appearance. Further, the mineral fiber insulation batt can be made with a lower amount of organic binder material than would otherwise be AMENOED SHEET
IPE~/EP
I
2~63G'l~
_g _ the case. Preferably, the amount of binder material is within the range of from about 1 to about 7 percent by weight of the unfaced batt. Most preferably, the binder comprises between 1 and 4.6 percent by weight of the unfaced batt. Such binders are well known to those skilled in the art.
- One attribute of the facing material is that it must be sufficiently slippery to enable the batt to be pushed or slid into place on top of the existing attic insulation material. Preferably, the coefficient of kinetic friction of the faced batt is less than 1.0, when the faced batt is pulled or dragged across a surface of an unface~ 71ass fiber batt having a density of about 8.01-12.81 ~ M3 (0.5 to about 0.8 pounds per cubic foot).
ASTM test D 2534-88 is a standard test method for determining the coefficient of kinetic friction for wax coatings. A test dynamically similar to D 2534-88 was used to determine the coefficient of kinetic friction of various facing materials suitable for use with mineral fiber insulation. A reference batt of R-13 glass fiber insulation was construc$ ~ ~ The reference batt has a density of about 11.21 ~ (0.7 pounds per cubic foot) - and measures 3.048 meters by 3.048 meters tone foot by one foot) by about 9.2 cm (3-5/8 inches). The reference batt was faced on the top side and unfaced on the bottom. The batt was dragged at a speed of 50.8 cm (20 inches) per minute across the various surfaces to be tested in accordance with the general principles of ASTM D 2534-88, and the coefficient of kinetic friction was determined by measuring the amount of frictional resistance encountered.
The apparatus used is shown in Fig. ~ in which reference batt 24 having facing 26 is pulled across the testing surface 28. The reference batt was pulled by AMENDED SHEET
IPE~JEP
~ 63~
means of wire 30, which after being turned upwardly around roller 32, was connected to a force measuring device. Any device suitable for measuring the load on the wire, such as a force transducer or Instron load cell 34, could be used. The coefficient of kinetic frlction is the measurement of the frictional force between the bottom surface of the reference batt and the top surface of the testing surface or facing material 28 to be tested.
EXAMPLE
The reference batt was dragged across five different materials according to the test procedure outlined above, with the following results.
Sample~O ~ 1O-6 Coefficient of Friction Unperforated 4.0~ 6 meters (0.4 mil) high density, high molecular weight PlYethYl~e~e~1o-G 0.826 Perforated ~q~ meters (0.4 mil) high density, : 20 high molecular weight polyethylene 0.735 Kraft paper 0.186 AC plywood 2.5 Unfaced glass fiber batt 7.73 25 The above data show that the faced batt has a small fraction of the friction exhibited by the action of sliding one unfaced batt across the other. Preferably, the coefficient of kinetic friction is within the range of from about 0.7 to about 0.9, and most preferably it is anything less than or equal to 1Ø
The fact that the side surfaces of the batt are highly porous not only enables rapid compression by allowing the escape of air during compression, but also AMENDED SHEET
IPE~/EP
71~36~B
facilitates the recovery of the product after the product is unpac~aged in its place of intended use. ~ ~ ~ly, the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-fourth of that predetermined thickness. For example, if the desired nominal thickness of an R-19 glass fiber insulation batt is 15.24 cm (6 inches), the batt can be compressed to a thickness of 3.8 cm (1.5 inches), and upon release from the packaging material, the batt wil~ self-recover to the thickness of 15.24 cm (6 inches). Most preferably, the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-sixth of that predetermined thickness.
It uill bo ~vidont fro~ ths forq1oin~ t~ iou~
~dific~tiona 6-n ~ m-~? t~ t~ nt; ~n 5~h, ho-~v~rr -~o c~n~i~o.ro1 -e bo;~ t;'~;~ th~ -CO~O of h~
t ' i~n~ion I~DUSTRI~' AP~LI~I'TTY
The mineral fiber insulation batt of the invention can be used for additional insulation in the attic space of a residential dwelling which has already been - insulated.
AMENDED SHE i IP~AIEF'
Claims (9)
1. A compressible mineral fiber insulation batt (10) having opposed major surfaces (12) and opposed side surfaces (14) and a polymeric facing (18) applied to both of the major surfaces (12), the facing (18) being less than or equal to 25.4x10-6 meters (1 mil) in thickness and being adhered to the batt (10) to prevent relative movement between the facing and the batt, characterised in that the facing (18) is vapor permeable and is of sufficiently low mass to exhibit a flame spread rating of 25 or less in the adhered condition, that the opposed side surfaces (14) of the batt are covered with a highly porous membrane (22) to enable quick air escape from the batt under conditions of rapid compression, and that the batt is capable of recovering to a predetermined thickness after release from compression to one-fourth of the predetermined thickness.
2. An insulation batt as claimed in claim 1, in which the mineral fiber is glass.
3. An insulation batt as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the facing is adhered to the batt using a hot melt adhesive applied at a rate of 2.15 g/m2 .
4. An insulation batt as claimed in claim 3, in which the facing is adhered to the batt using a series of strips of adhesive (20) spaced along one or more of the major surfaces of the insulation batt.
5. An insulation batt as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the facing (18) is comprised of high density, high molecular weight polyethylene.
6. An insulation batt as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the highly porous membrane (22) is adhered to at least one of the side surfaces (14) of the batt.
7. An insulation batt as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the coefficient of kinetic friction of the faced batt is less than 1.0 when the faced batt is dragged across a surface of an unfaced glass fiber batt having a density of 8.01-12.81 Kg/m3 (0.5 to 0.8 pounds per cubic foot).
8. An insulation batt as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the facing has a thickness of less than or equal to 15.2x10-6 meters (0.6 mil).
9. An insulation batt as claimed in claim 8, in which the facing has a thickness of less than or equal to 10.1x10-6 meters (0.4 mil).
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2163646 CA2163646A1 (en) | 1993-06-03 | 1993-06-03 | Insulation batt with low friction facing |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2163646 CA2163646A1 (en) | 1993-06-03 | 1993-06-03 | Insulation batt with low friction facing |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2163646A1 true CA2163646A1 (en) | 1994-12-22 |
Family
ID=4157020
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2163646 Abandoned CA2163646A1 (en) | 1993-06-03 | 1993-06-03 | Insulation batt with low friction facing |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2163646A1 (en) |
-
1993
- 1993-06-03 CA CA 2163646 patent/CA2163646A1/en not_active Abandoned
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