Abstract Individual glass fibers are coated with a combined sizing and coating composition that includes furfuryl alcohol as a constituent. The preferred combined sizing and coating composition comprises an aqueous mixture including furfuryl alcohol, ammonia, an elastomeric latex selected from natural and synthetic rubber latices such as neoprene, isoprene, butyl rubber, butadiene-styrene copolymers, acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene terpolymers, styrene-butadiene-vinylpyridine terpolymers, and the like, an aminosilane coupling agent such as gammaaminopropyltriethoxysilane, and a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin. An aqueous solution of the combined sizing and coating composition is prepared and the individual glass fibers are coated shortly after attenuation with this combined sizing and coating composition. The coated individual glass fibers are thereafter gathered into strands and the strands are dried while spaced from each other. The dried strands are thereafter collected on a forming tube and are used as a glass fiber reinforcement for elastomeric products. The furfuryl alcohol may also be used as a constituent in a sizing composition that includes a coupling agent and also, in a coating composition, for use with glass fibers that have been previously coated with a separate sizing composition.
The method of claim 1 wherein said coupling agent is selected from aminosilane coupling agents having the formula wherein R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different and are selected from lower alkyl or aliphatic hydrocarbons having less than eight carbon atoms and R4 is a biradical selected from lower alkyl or aliphatic hydrocarbons having less than eight carbon atoms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said coupling agent is gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said latex is a styrene-butadiene-vinylpyridine terpolymer latex.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
In the preparation of glass fibers for reinforcing elastomeric materials wherein glass fibers are drawn from a molten cone Of glass and are contacted with an aqueous sizing composition as they are being drawn and wherein said glass fibers realize a weight gain of about 1/2 to 2 percent by weight based on dry glass, the improvement comprising incorporating into said sizing composition a substantial quantity of water and a quantity of furfuryl alcohol constituting from about 1/2 to 5 percent by weight of said sizing composition.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
78 words
The method of claim 5 including thereafter forming an aqueous coating composition for said glass fibers comprising an elastomeric latex selected from natural and synthetic rubber latices, and a rubber adhesive selected from the group consisting of furfuryl alcohol and mixtures of furfuryl alcohol and a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin, and contacting said glass fibers with said coating composition whereby said glass fibers realize a weight gain of about 15 to 40 per cent by weight based on dry glass.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The combination of glass fibers and elastomer wherein the glass fibers are coated with a size composition containing furfuryl alcohol.