Replacement of conventional dedusting agents with green alternatives in production of rock mineral wool insulation products
The possibility to replace commonly used dedusting agents based on mineral oil with more sustainable vegetable oils as representatives of natural and environmental friendly materials is studied. Different anionic and nonionic emulsifying additives are studied as well. The stability of binder mixtures consisting of phenol formaldehyde resin, urea, silane, and various dedusting agents is evaluated, and the adhesion of binder mixtures to the rock sand is analyzed by the sandbar test. Adequate stability of binder mixtures and high bending strength to break the bars are achieved when binder mixtures contained dedusting emulsions based on mineral or vegetable oil as well as their combination emulsified with lignosulfonate salt. The combination of mineral or vegetable oil with nonionic emulsifier on the other hand shows poor stability of binder mixtures. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44165.