Foam insulation board faced with polymer-fibrous sheet composite

Claim 2

A thermally insulating structural laminate comprising a core of rigid plastic foam having two major surfaces, at least one of the major surfaces of the foam being attached to a facer comprising a fibrous sheet having at least one layer of an air- and moisture-imper­vious polymer disposed on the inner surface thereof and interposed between the fibrous sheet and the foam, the oxygen transmission of the polymer being a value of less than about 1 cc/100 in²-24 hrs-atm sufficient to make the facer substantially impervious to air and water vapor.

Claim 3

The structural laminate of claim 1, charac­terized in that the fibrous sheet is a paper sheet, a glass fiber sheet or composites thereof, the fibrous sheet preferably being a paper sheet, and, optionally, one of the major surfaces of the rigid plastic foam is attached to a facer which is a metal sheet, perlite board, gypsum board, fiberboard, asphalt-saturated felt, fiber glass sheet, and asphalt fiber glass sheet.

Claim 4

The structural laminate of claim 1, charac­terized in that the core of rigid plastic foam has two major surfaces and a facer on each of the major surfaces, each facer being the same or a different fibrous sheet, especially a paper sheet, a glass fiber sheet or com­posites thereof, and preferably a paper sheet, and each fibrous sheet having at least one layer of an air- and moisture-impervious polymer disposed on the inner surface thereof and interposed between the fibrous sheet and the foam, the surface of the polymeric layer in contact with the foam preferably containing carboxyl groups for improved adhesion of the fibrous sheet to the foam, the air- and moisture-impervious polymer of each fibrous sheet preferably being a vinylidene chloride copolymer, and the oxygen transmission of the polymer being a value of less than about 1 cc/100 in²-24 hrs-atm, preferably less than about 0.3 cc/100 in² 24 hrs-atm, sufficient to make the facer substantially impervious to air and water vapor, and, optionally, the rigid plastic foam is rein­forced by glass fibers .

Claim 5

The structural laminate of any one of the pre­ceding claims, characterized in that the rigid plastic foam is a polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, phenolic, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, urea-aldehyde, melamine-alde­hyde, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, cellulose acetate, epoxy, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer or silicone foam, the foam preferably being a polyure­thane or polyisocyanurate foam and the polyisocyanurate foam preferably being the reaction product of a polymethyl­ene polyphenylisocyanate, an aromatic polyester polyol, a fluorocarbon blowing agent and a trimerization catalyst.

Claim 6

The structural laminate of any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer surface of each fibrous sheet is coated with a protective coating containing a flame retardant, the fibrous sheet preferably being kraft paper weighing 50 to 150 lbs./3000 ft.² (81.4 to 244 g/m²) and coated with 5 to 20 lbs./3000 ft.² (8.1 to 32.5 g/m²) of vinylidene chloride copolymers, and, optionally, at least one other polymeric layer is included for bonding the facer to the foam.

Claim 7

The structural laminate of any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two air- and moisture-impervious polymeric layers are interposed between each fibrous sheet and the adjacent foam surface, the first polymeric layer comprising a first vinylidene chloride copolymer disposed on the fibrous sheet surface and the second polymeric layer being interposed between the first polymeric layer and foam and comprising a second vinylidene chloride copolymer having a higher oxygen transmission value than the first vinylidene chloride copolymer.

Claim 8

A process for continuously producing a thermally insulating structural laminate comprising a rigid plastic foam core having two major surfaces and a facing material on at least one of the major surfaces, the process characterized by comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a lower facing material along a production line; (b) applying a foam-forming mixture to the lower facing material; (c) optionally supplying an upper facing material over the applied foam-forming mixture, at least one facing material comprising a fibrous sheet having at least one layer of an air- and moisture-impervious polymer disposed on one surface thereof, the oxygen transmission of the polymer being a value of less than about 1 cc/100 in²-24 hrs-­atm sufficient to make the facing material substan­tially impervious to air and water vapor, and the fibrous sheet being positioned so that the polymeric layer is brought into contact with the foam-forming mixture; and (d) foaming and thermally curing the foam-form­ing mixture, the thermal curing preferably being carried out at a temperature from about 150° F to 250° F.

Claim 9

A process for continuously producing a thermally insulating structural laminate comprising a rigid plastic foam core having two major surfaces and a facing material on at least one of the major surfaces, the process characterized by comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a lower facing material along a production line; (b) applying a foam-forming mixture to the lower facing material; (c) optionally supplying an upper facing material over the applied foam-forming mixture, at least one facing material comprising a fibrous sheet having at least one layer of an air- and moisture-impervious polymer disposed on one surface thereof, the oxygen transmission of the polymer being a value of less than about 1 cc/100 in²-24 hrs-­atm sufficient to make the facing material substan­tially impervious to air and water vapor, and the fibrous sheet being positioned so that the polymeric layer is brought into contact with the foam-forming mixture; and (d) foaming and thermally curing the foam-form­ing mixture, the thermal curing preferably being carried out at a temperature from about 150° F to 250° F.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7, characterized in that an upper facing material is supplied over the applied foam-forming mixture and the upper and lower facing materials are the same or a different fibrous sheet, especially a paper sheet, a glass fiber sheet or com­posites thereof, and preferably a paper sheet, and each fibrous sheet has at least one layer of an air- and moisture-impervious polymer disposed on one surface thereof, the air- and moisture-impervious polymer of each fibrous sheet preferably being a vinylidene chloride copolymer, and the oxygen transmission of the polymer being a value of less than about 1 cc/100 in²-24 hrs-atm, preferably less than about 0.3 cc/100 in²-24 hrs-atm, sufficient to make the facing materials substantially impervious to air and water vapor, and each facing material being positioned so that the polymeric layer is brought into contact with the foam-forming mixture, the surface of the polymeric layer which is brought into contact with the foam-forming mixture preferably contain­ing carboxyl groups for improved adhesion of the fibrous sheet to the foam, and, optionally, before step (b), a mat of reinforcing glass fibers is introduced above the lower facing material so that the foam-forming mixture is applied to the mat of glass fibers instead of the lower facing material and a sandwich is formed of the upper and lower facing materials with the foam-forming mixture and reinforcing fibers therebetween.

Claim 11

The process of either one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the foam-forming mixture is a mixture for forming a polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, phenolic, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, urea-aldehyde, melamine-aldehyde, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethyl­ene, cellulose acetate, epoxy, acrylonitrile-butadiene­styrene copolymer or silicone foam, preferably a polyiso­cyanurate or polyurethane foam, and the outer surface of each fibrous sheet preferably is coated with a protective coating containing a flame retardant, the fibrous sheet preferably being kraft paper weighing 50 to 150 lbs./ 3000 ft.² (81.4 to 244 g/m²) and coated with 5 to 20 lbs./3000 ft.² (8.1 to 32.5 g/m²) of vinylidene chloride copolymers, and, optionally, at least one other polymeric layer is included for bonding the facing material to the foam.

Claim 12

The process of any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two air- and moisture-impervious polymeric layers are disposed on each fibrous sheet, the first polymeric layer comprising a first vinylidene chloride copolymer disposed on the paper sheet surface and the second polymeric layer being disposed on the first polymeric layer and comprising a second vinylidene chloride copolymer having a higher oxygen transmission value than the first vinylidene chloride copolymer and containing carboxyl groups for improved adhesion of the paper sheet to the rigid foam, and each facing material being positioned so that the second polymeric layer is brought into contact with the foam-forming mixture.