Sol-gel derived binder for inorganic composites

A new low cost inorganic binder system for large volume products like fiber insulation, building materials, etc. has been developed based on sol-gel technology. The precursor for the binder system is an amorphous mineral raw material containing silica as the major component. The sol was prepared by dissolving the amorphous mineral material in formic acid and the mineral was dissolved in a few hours dependent on the molarity of the formic acid. The sol stability was dependent on the solids content and the pH. The gel formation was studied using light scattering and NMR. The results show a growing particle size of particles mainly consisting of silica while the other cations were dissolved in the pore liquid. During the drying of the wet gels, salts of these cations were crystallized in the pores and further decomposed during heating. The derived binder shows good wetting properties to mineral fiber surfaces and a good strength of paper-binder composites. The new binder system applicable to approximately 800degreesC has a great potential as a substitute for some traditional organic systems.