Kuraray Co., Ltd.

Rentaro Tada

Hiroshi Narukawa

Yasuhira Takeuchi

Osamu Ohara

A sheet-like material having excellent fire resistance and bending workability comprises 80 to 97% by weight of a non-flammable fibrous substance, and 3 to 20% by weight of a binder consisting essentially of a thermoplastic resin. The fibrous substance is orientated at an angle of 3.degree. to 80.degree.. The material has an intermediate layer containing at least 2% by weight of the binder and at least 25% of the average quantity of the binder in the material. A heat insulating material comprising such sheet-like materials is also disclosed. The sheet-like material, and the heat insulating material are manufactured by a wet sheet forming process in which a slurry containing the fibrous substance and the binder is fed to a carrier net or sheet at an angle of 5.degree. to 60.degree. thereto, whereby the fibers are orientated. Alternatively, the slurry is fed to the carrier net or sheet at an angle of 20.degree. to 45.degree., while a fluid is blown into the slurry to create turbulence therein.

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Kurashiki, Japan

Rentaro Tada