Surface coverings containing fused recycled material and processes of making the same
AssigneeMannington Mills, Inc.
InventorsPeter Desai, Hao A. Chen, Nicholas Zerebecki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A backing or an intermediate layer for a surface covering is described which comprises a fused recycled material, wherein the material comprises a thermoplastic material, for instance, a vinyl material from a vinyl backed carpet or vinyl backed carpet manufacturing waste or both. Surface coverings containing the backing or intermediate layer of the present invention are also described as well as methods of making the backing or intermediate layer and methods of making the surface coverings containing the backing or intermediate layer of the present invention.
Claims22
A method of making a backing for a surface covering comprising obtaining recycled particles from a recycled carpet material by a process consisting of optional shearing, shredding, granulating, optionally elutriating, and grinding, and applying said recycled material in the form of particles on a substrate to form a layer, wherein said recycled material comprises a thermoplastic material;
- and fusing said recycled particles to form a continuous backing layer.
A method for preparing a backing for a surface covering comprising reducing vinyl backed carpet, vinyl backed carpet manufacturing waste, or both into granules and fibers;
- separating at least a portion of the fibers from the granules;
- reducing said granules to a smaller particle size to form a powder;
- applying the powder to a substrate to form a layer and pressing said powder;
- fusing said powder for a sufficient time and temperature in form a continuous backing.
A method of making a surface covering comprising forming an adhesive or polymeric pre-coat layer onto a primary backing by fusing or melting particles comprising a first thermoplastic material;
- forming a secondary backing layer on said adhesive or polymeric pre-coat layer by fusing or melting particles comprising a second thermoplastic material, wherein said first and second thermoplastic material are the same or different.
A method of making a vinyl floor surface covering comprising forming a substrate from recycled thermoplastic particles;
- and applying on a surface of the substrate a wear layer comprising vinyl-based particles;
- and subjecting the two layers to sufficient heat and optionally pressure to form continuous layers which are adhered to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.