# US 2021/0172088 A1 · Bulked continuous carpet filament manufacturing from polytrimethylene terephthalate

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- Number: US 2021/0172088 A1
- Document ID: US20210172088A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/257,211
- Filed: 2019-07-18
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-20
- Assignees: Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation
- Applicants: Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation
- Inventors: Thomas R. Clark
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210172088A1

## CPC

- D01F 1/04: Pigments
- D01F 6/92: of polyesters
- B29B 7/007: {for continuous mixing}
- B29B 7/325: {Static mixers (in general B01F25/42)}
- B29B 7/485: {with three or more shafts provided with screws}
- B29B 7/487: {with consecutive casings or screws, e.g. for feeding, discharging, mixing}
- B29B 7/489: {Screws (B29B7/482 takes precedence)}
- B29B 7/726: {Measuring properties of mixture, e.g. temperature or density (B29B7/724 takes precedence)}
- B29B 7/728: {Measuring data of the driving system, e.g. torque, speed, power, vibration (B29B7/724 takes precedence)}
- B29B 7/7461: {Combinations of dissimilar mixers}
- B29B 7/845: {Venting, degassing or removing evaporated components in devices with rotary stirrers}
- B29B 7/86: for working at sub- or superatmospheric pressure {(B01F33/70 takes precedence)}
- B29C 48/05: Filamentary, e.g. strands
- B29C 48/2552: {provided in the feeding, melting, plasticising or pumping zone, e.g. screw, barrel, gear-pump or ram}
- B29C 48/362: {using static mixing devices}
- B29C 48/425: using three or more screws (serially arranged screws B29C48/38, B29C48/385)
- D01D 1/065: {Addition and mixing of substances to the spinning solution or to the melt; Homogenising}
- D01D 1/106: {Filtering}
- D01D 5/08: Melt spinning methods {(D01D5/0023 takes precedence)}
- D01F 6/62: from polyesters
- D02G 3/445: {Yarns or threads for use in floor fabrics (floor fabrics A47G27/00; floor coverings on textile basis D06N7/0005)}
- B29B 7/42: with screw or helix
- B29B 7/46: with more than one shaft
- B29B 7/82: Heating or cooling
- B29K 2067/00: Use of polyesters {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material
- B29K 2067/003: {PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate}
- B29K 2105/0032: {Pigments, colouring agents or opacifiyng agents}
- B29K 2105/0088: {Blends of polymers}
- D10B 2331/04: polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET]
- D10B 2503/04: Floor or wall coverings; Carpets
- D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- B29B: PREPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF THE MATERIAL TO BE SHAPED; MAKING GRANULES OR PREFORMS; RECOVERY OF PLASTICS OR OTHER CONSTITUENTS OF WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING PLASTICS
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
- D02G: CRIMPING OR CURLING FIBRES, FILAMENTS, THREADS, OR YARNS; YARNS OR THREADS
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) comprises: (1) splitting the PTT stream extruded from the primary extruder into a number of polymer streams, each of the plurality of polymer streams having an associated spinning machine; (2) adding a colorant to each split polymer stream; (3) adding PET to the extruded polymer stream downstream of the primary extruder; (4) using one or more static mixing assemblies for each split polymer stream to substantially uniformly mix each split polymer stream and its respective colorant and PET; and (5) spinning each polymer stream with its substantially uniformly mixed colorant and any additives into BCF using the respective spinning machine.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), the method comprising:
providing an extruder;
using the extruder to at least partially melt the PTT into a polymer stream and at least partially purify the polymer stream;
providing a static mixing assembly downstream of the extruder;
adding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to the polymer stream downstream of the extruder and before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly between an upstream end and a downstream end of the static mixing assembly;
using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET to create a mixed polymer stream; and
forming the mixed polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a liquid colorant to the polymer stream before the static mixing assembly or along the length of the static mixing assembly between the upstream end and the downstream end of the static mixing assembly,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET to create the mixed polymer stream comprises using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET and the liquid colorant to create a colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a molten polymeric masterbatch to the polymer stream before the static mixing assembly or along the length of the static mixing assembly between the upstream end and the downstream end of the static mixing assembly,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET to create the mixed polymer stream comprises using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET and the molten polymeric masterbatch to create a colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
splitting the polymer stream into a plurality of individual polymer streams downstream from the extruder; and
providing, for each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams, a respective secondary extruder and a respective static mixing assembly, wherein adding the PET, using the static mixing assembly, and forming the mixed polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament occurs with respect to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising adding a liquid colorant to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams before the respective static mixing assembly or along the length of the respective static mixing assembly between the upstream end and the downstream end of the static mixing assembly,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET to create the mixed polymer stream comprises using the respective static mixing assembly to mix each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams with the PET and the liquid colorant to create a respective colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the respective colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising adding a molten polymeric masterbatch to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the PET to create the mixed polymer stream comprises using the respective static mixing assembly to mix each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams with the PET and the molten polymeric masterbatch to create a respective colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the respective colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein adding the molten polymeric masterbatch to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams comprises adding the molten polymeric masterbatch to the respective secondary extruder.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein adding the molten polymeric masterbatch to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams comprises adding the molten polymeric masterbatch before the respective static mixing assembly or along the length of the respective static mixing assembly between the upstream end and the downstream end of the respective static mixing assembly.

### Claim 9

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), the method comprising:
providing an extruder;
using the extruder to at least partially melt the PTT into a polymer stream and at least partially purify the polymer stream;
providing a static mixing assembly downstream of the extruder;
adding a liquid colorant to the polymer stream before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly between an upstream end and a downstream end of the static mixing assembly;
using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the liquid colorant to create a colored polymer stream; and
forming the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising adding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to the polymer stream;
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the liquid colorant to create the colored polymer stream comprises using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the liquid colorant and the PET to create a colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the colored polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein adding the PET to the polymer stream comprises adding the PET to the extruder.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein adding the PET to the polymer stream comprises adding the PET before the static mixing assembly or along the length of the static mixing assembly between the upstream end and the downstream end of the static mixing assembly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
splitting the polymer stream into a plurality of individual polymer streams downstream from the extruder; and
providing, for each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams, a respective secondary extruder and a respective static mixing assembly, wherein adding the liquid colorant, using the static mixing assembly, and forming the colored polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament occurs with respect to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising adding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the liquid colorant to create the colored polymer stream comprises using the respective static mixing assembly to mix each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams with the liquid colorant and the PET to create a respective colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the colored polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the respective colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein adding the PET to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams comprises adding the PET before the respective static mixing assembly or along the length of the respective static mixing assembly between the upstream end and the downstream end of the respective static mixing assembly.

### Claim 16

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), the method comprising:
providing an extruder;
using the extruder to at least partially melt the PTT into a polymer stream and at least partially purify the polymer stream;
providing a static mixing assembly downstream of the extruder;
adding a molten polymeric masterbatch to the polymer stream before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly between an upstream end and a downstream end of the static mixing assembly;
using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the molten polymeric masterbatch to create a colored polymer stream; and
forming the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising adding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to the polymer stream,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the molten polymeric masterbatch to create the colored polymer stream comprises using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the molten polymeric masterbatch and the PET to create a colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the colored polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
splitting the polymer stream into a plurality of individual polymer streams downstream from the extruder; and
providing, for each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams, a respective secondary extruder and a respective static mixing assembly, wherein adding the molten polymeric masterbatch, using the static mixing assembly, and forming the colored polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament occurs with respect to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising adding polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams,
wherein using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the molten polymeric masterbatch to create the colored polymer stream comprises using the respective static mixing assembly to mix each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams with the molten polymeric masterbatch and the PET to create a respective colored mixed polymer stream, and
wherein forming the colored polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament comprises forming the respective colored mixed polymer stream into the bulked continuous carpet filament.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein adding the PET to each stream of the plurality of individual polymer streams comprises adding the PET to the respective secondary extruder.