United States Patent (19) [11] 3,951,885 Thompson (45) Apr
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United States Patent (19) [11] 3,951,885 Thompson (45) Apr. 20, 1976 54) METHOD OF MAKING MAGNESIUM 3,238,155 3/1966 Harrell............................. 260/2.5 F OXYCHLORIDE CEMENT COFOAMED 3,354,099 11/1967 Stegeman...................... 260/2.5 AK WITH SYNTHETIC RESIN 3,502,610 3/1970 Thompson...................... 260/2.5 FP 3,607,797 9/1971 Rubens.............. ... 260/2.5 AK 75 Inventor: Henry Clark Thompson, Saratoga, 3,763,070 10/1973. Shearing............ ... 260/2.5 AK Calif. 3,778,304 12/1973 Thompson.......................... 106/107 73 Assignee: Thompson Chemicals, Inc., Palo FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Alto, Calif. 1,214,478 12/1970 United Kingdom........... 260/2.5 AK 5/1970 United Kingdom........... 260/2.5 AK (22 Filed: Sept. 17, 1973 1,192,864 (21) Appl. No.: 397,833 Primary Examiner-C. Warren Ivy Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Limbach, Limbach & Related U.S. Application Data Sutton 63 Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 194,557, Nov. 1, 1971, Pat. No. 3,778,304, which is 2 (57) ABSTRACT continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 81 1,616, March 28, A method of making a foamed fireproof product of 1969, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of magnesium oxychloride cement and the resulting Ser. No. 589,808, Oct. 27, 1966, abandoned. product. A porous substrate is impregnated with a 52 U.S. Cl........................... 260/2.5 AK; 106/107; foaming mixture of magnesium chloride, magnesium 260/2.5 AJ; 260/2.5 B; 260/2.5 BE; 260/2.5 oxide, and frothing agent in water. The mixture F; 260/2.5 FP; 260/2.5 R hardens with small voids throughout the porous sub 51) int. Cl.’.................... C08K 3/18; C08G 18/14; strate, thus providing a fireproof product of low den C08G 8/22 sity. The cement mixture may be co-foamed with poly 58 Field of Search.................. 260/2.5 AK, 2.5 AJ, urethane foam. The fireproof products of relatively 260/2.5 FP, 2.5 R, 2.5 F, 2.5 B, 2.5 BE; 106/107 low density are particularly valuable for building and construction purposes. Magnesium powder is the pre (56) References Cited ferred frothing agent which, in combination with a surfactant, induces a large volume of small bubbles UNITED STATES PATENTS that remain in the composition as it is set. 3,130,174 4/1964 Lloyd.................................. 106/07 3,21 1,675 10/1965 Johnson ........................ 260/2.5 AK 11 Claims, No Drawings 3,951,885 1 2 Porous magnesium oxychloride cement is disclosed METHOD OF MAKING MAGNESIUM s in U.S. Pat. No. 1,965,538. However, this patent does OXYCHLORIDECEMENT COFOAMED WITH not relate to fireproofing of burnable products. U.S. Pat. No. 2,702,753 relates to a foamed magne SYNTHETIC RESIN sium oxychloride tile having certain other ingredients. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED - ". However, the magnesium oxychloride is not intended APPLICATIONS to fireproof other burnable materials. This application is a continuation-in-part of applica U.S. Pat. No. 3,050,427 shows the use offibrous glass tion Ser. No. 194,557, filed Nov. 1, 197i, now U.S. Pat. in a binder. Of the binders listed in this patent, magne No. 3,778,304 which is a continuation-in-part of appli 10 sium oxychloride cement is suggested as a possibility. cation Ser. No. 81 1,616, filed Mar. 28, 1969, which in However, the patent does not relate to fireproofing turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. with foamed magnesium oxychloride cement. 589,808, filed October 27, 1966, both now abandoned. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 15 This invention relates to relatively low density burn This invention relates to a process offireproofing and able materials which have been rendered non-burnable the resultant fireproof product. More particularly, it by the even distribution, throughout the burnable ma relates to fireproofing with foamed magnesium oxy terial, of foamed magnesium oxychloride cement. The . chloride cement. .: even distribution of the cement may be accomplished Fireproofing of porous organic materials such as 20 by co-foaming the burnable foam with the foamed insulating board, fiberboard, and the like has long been cement at the same time. The cement is foamed by the a difficult problem. Most chemicals used for fireproof presence of a frothing agent which produces gas bub ing are expensive in the amounts required, so that the bles. economies of fiberboard are lost in preparation of the It is an object of this invention to provide an inexpen commercial fireproof product. Moreover, many of the 25 sive, fireproof porous material having high strength: . materials used for “fireproofing" are in fact simply. properties and low density. m - flame retardants, which resist the spread of flames and It is a further object of this invention to provide an: extinguish the fire by the release of chlorine gas or improved process of manufacturing low density fire other extinguishing material. However, fire retardant proof materials. ... and flame retardant materials do not prevent the burn :30 These and other objects of the invention will appear ing of the organic constituents of the porous substrates. from the following description in which the preferred In many cases, smoke still is given off through the burn embodiments of the invention have been set forth in ing of the cellulose fibers or other organic materials detail. .'; often with the result that severe smoke damage is still possible even though open flames do not break out. 35 A DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED Materials which have layers of fireproof materials EMBODIMENT S. over burnable organic materials, such as gypsum board, Magnesium oxychloride cement (sorel cement) is also suffer shortcomings. Gypsum board is not suitable prepared by the reaction of magnesium chloride, mag for exterior use because of severe sensitivity to water. nesium oxide and water. The literature defines the In addition, the paper backing in gypsum board is burn 40S. reaction according to two net equations: able. Materials like asbestos-cement board are fireproof, 3 MgO + MgCl, + i 1 HO --> 3 Mg(OH), MgCl,8- but they are so expensive and so dense that they have HO not achieved the wide commercial acceptance possible or with low-cost materials. a 45 Magnesium oxychloride cement has been known for 5 MgO + MgCl, + 13 H.O.--> 5 Mg(OH), MgCl,8- many years as a flooring material. However, because of HO - - . ... its density and lack of porosity, it has not been widely used in other applications. It has previously been sug Magnesium oxychloride cement, before it has set, gested to introduce porosity into magnesium oxychlo 50 may be made to froth with the addition of frothing ride cement in U.S. Pat. No. 1,429,451 by the inter agent. By adding a frothing agent during the initial mixing of cork or other light material into the cement reaction period of the oxychloride cement a continuing and thereafter heating to partially decompose the cork froth is obtained which may be impregnated in porous . particles. Still, the product of this patent is so dense materials. The frothing agent continues to form bub that it has not achieved acceptance in the building and 55 bles in the magnesium oxychloride cement within the construction trades for walls, roofing, etc. v porous material until the initial set of the cement takes It has been suggested to make building boards and place, at which time the bubbles are frozen into allow roofing material from magnesium oxychloride cement density fireproof product. in U.S. Pat. No. 1,372,118 by forming magnesium oxy In preparing magnesium oxychloride cement, prefer chloride cement in a foraminous support. However, the 60 to add water to MgCl,.6HO to form a mixture having product obtained is so dense and heavy that its useful a specific gravity of 22 Baume. In practice, this is ness is limited. .''... approximately a 1:1 ratio with water. The specific grav A less dense board is described in U.S. Pat No. ity is important and should not exceed the range of . 1,500,207 where a magnesium oxychloride cement 21.5 and 22.5 Baume where MgCl2.6H,O is used. surface resembling ornamental stone is coated on a 65 About 4% pounds of magnesium chloride is added to fiberboard. However, the cement is only on the surface water to make a gallon of liquid at 22° Baume. It fol and fails to thoroughly wet all the fibers in order to lows that the range of 21.5° and 22.5 Baume is render them fireproof. s' . achieved by roughly the addition of 4 to 5 pounds of 3,951,885 3 4 magnesium chloride with water to make a gallon. In hours. The cement will not be completely set for 24 practice, it is convenient to purchase solutions of mag hours. nesium chloride which are commercially available at The preferred frothing agent is powdered magne about 36' Baume. The desired specific gravity may be sium, which reacts with the oxychloride cement to achieved simply by the addition of water. continuously produce small bubbles. The precise Where other magnesium chloride hydrates are used chemistry of the reaction is not understood, but it is or where small amounts of the magnesium chloride are believed that the reaction gives off hydrogen gas. It is substituted with other cement forming materials (such known that the powdered magnesium continues to as magnesium sulfate), the specific gravity may vary generate gas bubbles until it is consumed. The mere slightly beyond the above specified range. Ordinarily, O entrainment of air bubbles is not satisfactory because no more than 2 or 3 per cent by weight of the total the air invariably escapes to the atmosphere before the cement composition of magnesium sulfate should be cement is set.