초록 ▼

A thermally-insulating, non-flammable, air-permeable insulation for installation in the field, for example, in closed cavities between the walls of a house. A multitude of individually preformed, foamed plastic particles are initially entrained in a carrier stream, and thereupon drenched with a sett

A thermally-insulating, non-flammable, air-permeable insulation for installation in the field, for example, in closed cavities between the walls of a house. A multitude of individually preformed, foamed plastic particles are initially entrained in a carrier stream, and thereupon drenched with a settable film-forming, non-flammable, liquid substance, such as a sodium silicate solution. The liquid substance sets to form a film which covers and adheres the particles to one another to form a thermally-insulating dense structural aggregate mass having structural integrity, resistance to fire, and venting capability. A method of making and installing the insulation, and a preferred apparatus therefor, are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

Method of making thermal insulation in closed cavities of field structures, comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a carrier air stream under pressure along a path to a wetting chamber; (b) introducing a multitude of individually pre-formed, foamed plastic particles into the carrier air stream for e

Method of making thermal insulation in closed cavities of field structures, comprising the steps of: (a) conveying a carrier air stream under pressure along a path to a wetting chamber; (b) introducing a multitude of individually pre-formed, foamed plastic particles into the carrier air stream for entrainment in the stream; (c) substantially wetting the carrier-entrained particles by applying a settable film-forming liquid substance thereto in the wetting chamber to form a liquid-drenched dense but flowable mixture of said multitude of particles; (d) pulling the drenched particles out of the wetting chamber in a second air stream, said conveying step and said pulling step jointly constituting a push-pull step; and (e) flowing the drenched particles in a second air stream via a filler hose to the closed cavities, said settable substance setting and forming a set film which covers and adheres said particles to one another at their common points of contact to form a structural thermally-insulating dense mass of said particles at the cavities, said structural thermally-insulating mass being structurally stable and resistant to disassociation of said individual particles due to the adhesion-like characteristic of said set film which provides structural integrity to the entire thermally-insulating mass. A thermally-insulating, non-flammable, air-permeable insulation installed in a field structure, said insulation being made and installed by the method of claim 1, said insulation comprising: a multitude of individually pre-formed, foamed plastic, thermally-insulating particles; and a set film formed from a settable, film-forming, initially-liquid, non-flammable substance, said set film covering and adhering said particles to one another at their common points of contact to form a structural dense mass of said multitude of particles, said mass being structurally stable and resistant to disassociation of said individual particles due to the adhesion-like characteristic of said set film which provides structural integrity to the entire mass, said mass being resistant to fire due to the non-flammable characteristic of said set film which covers said particles, said mass having interstices bounded by said particles themselves at those points which are other than said contact points, and said interstices being air passageways which permit vapors on one side of the mass to pass through towards the other side of the mass in order to permit the entire mass to vent vapors therethrough.