Ppg Industries, Inc.

Ed C Hsu

Chester S Temple

L Dow Moore

Treated glass fibers are provided that are more dispersible in aqueous media. The glass fibers are treated with a composition having a nonionic surfactant and a cationic quaternary ammonium salt surfactant. The composition may be added simultaneously or sequentially with the chopped glass fibers to the aqueous media in which the glass fibers are to be dispersed. Also, glass fibers can be treated with an aqueous treating composition having the composition and produced into wet or dry chopped glass fibers having a length of about 1/16 of an inch to about 3 inches. The treated glass fibers have good dispersibility in aqueous media with or without the addition of dispersing agents.

Treated glass fibers and nonwoven sheet-like mat and method

Treated glass fibers having adequate protection for gathering into strands and when chopped being more dispersible in aqueous media. The treated glass fibers have a coating of an aqueous treating composition having nonionic surfactant and a cationic quaternary ammonium salt surfactant and one or more organo polar functional coupling agents. In addition, the aqueous treating composition can also have one or more water dispersible, emulsifiable or soluble polyols. Glass fibers treated with the aqueous treating compositions and produced into wet or dry chopped glass fiber strands having a length of 1/16 of an inch to about 3 inches, and having good dispersibility in aqueous media with or without addition of dispersing agents. Nonwoven, sheet-like mat produced from aqueous dispersions having the chopped treated glass fibers, where an amount of water is removed usually by vacuum, suction or thermal means and where polymeric binders, commonly referred to as wet strength binders, are applied and the mat is cured. The resulting nonwoven, sheet-like mat product has very good strength properties for use as a reinforcing element for roofing products, construction products and flooring products.

Treated glass fibers and aqueous dispersion and nonwoven mat of glass

Sized glass fiber strands are provided that have improved slip/flow characteristics. This improved characteristic is achieved by sizing glass fibers with an aqueous sizing composition having one or more nonstarch film forming polymers, one or more coupling agents, one or more lubricants or a mixture thereof, polyethylene-containing polymer with limited branching and water. The aqueous sizing composition can also have a wax having a melting point greater than 50.degree. C. where the total amount of the polyethylene polymer and wax is not greater than about 15 weight percent of the aqueous sizing composition.

Aqueous sizing composition for producing sized glass fiber strands with

Glass fibers reinforced polymeric polymers can be produced with high strength properties such as tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength by using sized glass fiber strands of the present invention. The sized glass fiber strands have a residue of an aqueous sizing composition comprising: aqueous dispersible, emulsifiable, or solubilizable polyurethane polymer, polyepoxide polymer, polyethylene-containing polymer, and wax, where the weight ratio of the polyethylene containing polymer to the wax is in the range of about 25 to 1 to about 1 to 25, and one or more amino silane coupling agents. In addition to the amino silane coupling agent, the sizing composition may have an epoxy silane coupling agent and/or a lubricant modified silane coupling agent. The wax can be deleted from the composition, when the polyethylene-containing polymer has limited branching. The sized glass fiber strands can be produced by conventional forming process or by a wet chopped glass fiber forming process.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Ed C Hsu