Abstract
The in-vitro dissolution rate of fibres is a good predictor of the in-vivo behavior and potential health effects of inhaled fibres. This study examines the effect of a new formaldehyde-free carbohydrate-polycarboxylic acid binder on the in-vitro dissolution rate of biosoluble glass fibres. Dissolution rate measurements in pH 7.4 physiological saline solution show that the presence of the binder on wool insulation glass fibres has no effect on their dissolution. There is no measurable difference between the dissolution rates of continuous draw fibres before and after binder was applied by dipping. Nor is there a measurable difference between the dissolution rates of a production glass wool sample with binder and that same sample after removal of the binder by low-temperature ashing. Morphological examination shows that swelling of the binder in the solution is at least partially responsible for the development of open channels around the glass-binder interface early in the dissolution. These channels allow fluid to reach the entire glass surface under the binder coating. There is no evidence of any delay in the dissolution rate as a result of the binder coating.
Highlights
The critical role of dissolution on the potential health effects of inhaled fibres is well established [1]
In addition to glass fibres, commercial insulation glass wool products typically contain an organic binder to give the strength and mechanical integrity required for their end use application
Bauer [5] notes that it is unlikely that fibres with thick binder coatings could reach the deep lung due to aerodynamic considerations, binder is typically found on some fibres during routine microscopic examination of airborne respirable fibres [unpublished observations, M
Summary
The critical role of dissolution on the potential health effects of inhaled fibres is well established [1]. Over the last several decades there have been numerous publications on the relation between various physical characteristics of a synthetic vitreous fibre and its dissolution rate in physiological saline solution. These include the chemical composition of the fibre [1], fibre density changes as a result of annealing [2], fibre diameter [3], and the physical changes resulting from the fiberization method [3,4,5]. It is desirable to know if such binders provide any protection in the lung environment that would slow the dissolution rate of an otherwise biosoluble fibre
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