Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Timothy J Gennrich

Joseph Graham

James A Laird

Edward M Fischer

Billy L George

Thomas L Tompkins

Steven R Paulson

Filter material comprising fabric of ceramic oxide fibers and vermiculite particulate is disclosed. The presence of the vermiculite provides an improvement in the flexural endurance of the fabric.

Filter material of ceramic oxide fibers and vermiculite particles

A cylindrical ceramic foam body that can be the sole buoyant member of an oil-containment boom is produced by firing a mixture of fine particles of ceramic precursor, a source of carbon such as silicon carbide, and a metallic oxide. In the boom, a stack of the ceramic foam bodies, each of which is a cylinder, can be held together by wire mesh to provide a buoyant log. A plurality of the buoyant logs can be inserted end-to-end into a 3-layer loop, viz., an inner layer of a ceramic textile fabric, a middle layer of knitted wire mesh, and an outer layer of polymer-coated fabric.

Ceramic foam body having closed cell structure

A fire retardant, intumescent composition is provided which comprises a mixture of alkali metal silicate, represented by the formula M.sub.2 O:xSiO.sub.2 in which M is the alkali metal; an oxy boron compound selected from boric acid or salts of Group I and II elements; and water; in which the weight ratio x ranges from about 1.5 to about 4, the molar ratio of boron to M is between 0.2 and 0.9, and the water comprises about 5 to 15 weight percent of the total composition. These compositions are made by mixing an alkali metal silicate sol with a borate (e.g., boric acid) to form a gel which is dried in an oven. The resulting residue is crumbled to granules. A fire retardant which is relatively insoluble and has improved stability to long term exposure to water and humidity is formed. Various parameters (e.g., the weight ratio x, the amount of water present, and the ratio of boron to sodium) can be adjusted to control the amount of intumescence retained after exposure to water and also to control the temperature of intumescence. Granules made of these compositions have many applications, including incorporation into asphalt roofing materials.

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Lake Elmo, MN, United States of America

Timothy J Gennrich