Cellular materials and articles and method of producing

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING CELLULAR ARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING AND MIXING IRREGULARLY SHAPED AIRENTRAINING SOLID PARTICLES OF FROM ABOUT 8 TO 100 MESH IN SIZE INTO A AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF A RUBBERY BINDER THROUGH THE AIR-LIQUID INTERFACE OF SAID DISPERSION TO ENTRAIN AIR INTO SAID DISPERSION, SAID DISPERSION HAVING A BINDER SOLIDS CONTENT BELOW ABOUT 70% BY WEIGHT, SAID AIRENTRAINING SOLID PARTICLES BEING ADDED IN A WEIGHT RATIO TO BINDER SOLIDS OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO 1 TO ABOUT 4 TO 1, THE INTRODUCTION AND MIXING OF SAID PARTICLES INTO THE DISPERSION FORMING MINUTE AIR BUBBLES THEREIN TO PROVIDE A UNIFORMLY AERATED STABLE FOAM HAVING A VISCOSITY SUCH THAT WHEN DRIED IT WILL FORM A SKIN OF BINDER UPON THE EXPOSED SURFACES OF SAID FOAM, APPLYING A LAYER OF THE WET FOAM TO A SUBSTRATE, AND SUBJECTING SAID FOAM TO DRYING BY HEATING AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 250 ATO 350* F. THEREBY EXPANDING AND BURSING THE AIR BUBBLES IN SAID FOAM WHILE RETAINING THE CELLULAR STRUCTURE BY DISPOSITION OF THE AIR-ENTRAINING SOLID PARTICLES IN BRIDING AND CONTACTING RELATION, AND FORMING A SKIN OF BINDER ON THE EXPOSED SURFACES OF SAID LAYER WITH AN ATTENDANT INCREASE IN VOLUME IN THE CELLULAR LAYER TO PRODUCE A CELLULAR STRUCTURE IN WHICH THE INTRODUCED SOLID PARTICLES ARE BONDED TOGETHER BY SAID BINDER IN SAID BRIDGING AND CONTACTING RELATION DEFINING INTERCOMMUNICATING CELLS THEREBETWEEN.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING CELLULAR ARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING AND MIXING IRREGULARLY SHAPED AIRENTRAINING SOLID PARTICLES OF FROM ABOUT 8 TO 100 MESH IN SIZE INTO A AQUEOUS DISPERSION OF A RUBBERY BINDER THROUGH THE AIR-LIQUID INTERFACE OF SAID DISPERSION TO ENTRAIN AIR INTO SAID DISPERSION, SAID DISPERSION HAVING A BINDER SOLIDS CONTENT BELOW ABOUT 70% BY WEIGHT, SAID AIRENTRAINING SOLID PARTICLES BEING ADDED IN A WEIGHT RATIO TO BINDER SOLIDS OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO 1 TO ABOUT 4 TO 1, THE INTRODUCTION AND MIXING OF SAID PARTICLES INTO THE DISPERSION FORMING MINUTE AIR BUBBLES THEREIN TO PROVIDE A UNIFORMLY AERATED STABLE FOAM HAVING A VISCOSITY SUCH THAT WHEN DRIED IT WILL FORM A SKIN OF BINDER UPON THE EXPOSED SURFACES OF SAID FOAM, APPLYING A LAYER OF THE WET FOAM TO A SUBSTRATE, AND SUBJECTING SAID FOAM TO DRYING BY HEATING AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM ABOUT 250 ATO 350* F. THEREBY EXPANDING AND BURSING THE AIR BUBBLES IN SAID FOAM WHILE RETAINING THE CELLULAR STRUCTURE BY DISPOSITION OF THE AIR-ENTRAINING SOLID PARTICLES IN BRIDING AND CONTACTING RELATION, AND FORMING A SKIN OF BINDER ON THE EXPOSED SURFACES OF SAID LAYER WITH AN ATTENDANT INCREASE IN VOLUME IN THE CELLULAR LAYER TO PRODUCE A CELLULAR STRUCTURE IN WHICH THE INTRODUCED SOLID PARTICLES ARE BONDED TOGETHER BY SAID BINDER IN SAID BRIDGING AND CONTACTING RELATION DEFINING INTERCOMMUNICATING CELLS THEREBETWEEN.