Carpets with improved fuzz-resistance

A process for manufacture of carpets comprising the steps of providing a tufted backing having a stitched side that has a plurality of stitches of face yarn comprising filaments, wherein filaments of a plurality of the stitches are bonded with a stitch bind composition comprising an organic polymer which is present at about 0.2 to about 3 ounces per square yard of the stitched side, the stitch bind composition having a viscosity effective for coating or penetrating the stitches to contact the filaments thereof ranging from about 0.5 to 2900 cps and comprising an aqueous liquid component contacting the stitched side of the tufted backing with a thermoplastic binder that consists entirely or essentially of a thermoplastic polyethylene having flow properties corresponding to an MI of about 2.2 to about 105 g/10 min. as measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238;

• and a viscosity between approximately 230,000 and 4,881,000 cps at about 270° F. with a shear rate of about 10 sec−1 as measured in accordance with ASTM D 3835 and that softens or melts at a temperature below a temperature at which the tufted backing is damaged by heat or that, when softened or melted, can contact the tufted backing without such damage;
• heating the thermoplastic binder to soften or melt the resin without damaging the tufted backing;
• and cooling the backing with softened or melted resin in contact with the stitched side to solidify the resin.

In a process for making carpets that comprises steps comprising:

• providing a tufted backing comprising a backing and having a pile side and an opposite stitched side, wherein the pile side has a plurality of tufts of face yarn that comprise a plurality of filaments and the stitched side has a plurality of stitches of the face yarn;
• contacting the stitched side of the tufted backing with a thermoplastic binder that comprises a thermoplastic resin that softens or melts at a temperature below a temperature at which the tufted backing is damaged by heat or that, when softened or melted, can contact the tufted backing without such damage, wherein the binder is applied into contact with the stitched side by (a) extruding the binder with melted thermoplastic resin into contact with the stitched side or (b) heating the binder applied or present in solid form as a film, fiber, fabric, particulates or combination thereof in contact with the stitched side to soften or melt the thermoplastic resin, without damaging the tufted backing;
• and
• cooling the thermoplastic binder with the softened or melted resin thereof in contact with at least the stitched side of the tufted backing to solidify the thermoplastic resin;
• the improvement wherein the thermoplastic binder consists entirely or essentially of a thermoplastic polyethylene resin having flow properties corresponding to an MI of about 2.2 to about 105 g/10 min. as measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238, and a viscosity between approximately 230,000 and 4,881,000 cps at about 270° F. with a shear rate of about 10 sec−1 as measured in accordance with ASTM D 3835, and comprising steps that comprise:
• applying to a plurality of stitches, before the softened or melted resin solidifies, a stitch bind composition that has a viscosity effective for coating or penetrating the stitches to contact the filaments thereof ranging from about 0.5 to 2900 cps and comprises an aqueous liquid component that boils or vaporizes at a temperature such that it can be removed by heating below a temperature at which the tufted backing is damaged by heat and an organic polymer component that bonds filaments of the stitches on removal of the aqueous liquid component, wherein the stitch bind composition is applied in an amount effective to provide about 0.2 to about 3 ounces of the organic polymer component or a residue thereof per square yard of the stitched side;
• and
• after applying the stitch bind composition but before the softened or melted resin solidifies, heating the stitch bind composition to remove the aqueous liquid component without damaging the tufted backing.

A process for making carpets comprising steps that comprise:

• adhering to a stitched side of a tufted backing a plurality of stitches of face yarn comprising a plurality of filaments by cooling in contact with the stitched side a thermoplastic binder consisting entirely or essentially of a softened or melted thermoplastic polyethylene resin having flow properties corresponding to an MI of about 2.2 to about 105 g/10 min. as measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238;
• and a viscosity between proximately 230,000 and 4,881,000 cps at about 270° F. with a shear rate of about 10 sec−1 as measured in accordance with ASTM D 3835 to solidify the resin, wherein the thermoplastic binder with the thermoplastic resin thereof in softened or melted form is contacted with the stitched side by heating the thermoplastic binder applied or present in solid form as a nonwoven fabric of continuous or staple fibers consisting entirely or essentially of the thermoplastic resin and having a weight of about 1 to about 15 ounces per square yard in contact with the stitched side to soften or melt the thermoplastic resin;
• applying to a plurality of stitches, before the resin solidifies, a stitch bind composition having a viscosity effective for coating or penetrating the stitches to contact the filaments thereof ranging from about 0.5 to 2900 cps and comprising an aqueous liquid component that boils or vaporizes at a temperature such that it can be removed by heating below a temperature at which the tufted backing is damaged by heat and an organic polymer component that bonds filaments of the stitches on removal of the aqueous liquid component, wherein the stitch bind composition is applied in an amount effective to provide about 0.2 to about 3 ounces of the organic polymer component or a residue thereof per square yard of the stitched side;
• and
• heating the stitch bind composition, after application thereof to the stitches and before the resin solidifies, to remove the aqueous liquid component of the stitch bind composition.

A process for making a tufted carpet comprising steps that comprise

• providing a tufted backing comprising a backing, face yarn comprising a plurality of filaments, and a thermoplastic binder in the form of a coating, fabric or fibers consisting entirely or essentially of solid thermoplastic polyethylene resin that softens or melts at a temperature below a temperature at which the backing and face yarn are damaged by heat and has flow properties corresponding to an MI of about 2.2 to about 105 g/10 min. as measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238;
• and a viscosity between approximately 230,000 and 4,881,000 cps at about 270° F. with a shear rate of about 10 sec−1 as measured in accordance with ASTM D 3835, wherein face yarn penetrates the backing and forms a pile surface comprising a plurality of tufts on one side of the backing and a plurality of stitches on an opposite, stitched side of the backing, and the thermoplastic binder is present on at least the stitched side of the backing;
• applying to the stitched side of the tufted backing and in contact with a plurality of the stitches a stitch bind composition having a viscosity effective for coating or penetrating the stitches to contact the filaments thereof ranging from about 0.5 to 2900 cps and comprising water and an organic polymer component that bonds filaments of the stitches on removal of the water, wherein the stitch bind composition is applied in an amount effective to provide about 0.2 to about 3 ounces of the organic polymer component or a residue thereof per square yard of the stitched side;
• heating the tufted backing in contact with the stitch bind composition to remove the water without damaging the tufted backing;
• heating the binder to soften or melt the thermoplastic resin without damaging the tufted backing;
• and
• cooling the binder with the softened or melted resin thereof in contact with the stitched side of the tufted backing to solidify the resin.

A process for manufacturing carpets comprising steps that comprise

• providing a tufted primary backing having a pile side comprising face yarn tufts and an opposite side having a plurality of stitches of face yarn;
• applying to a plurality of the stitches a stitch bind composition having a viscosity effective for coating or penetrating the stitches to contact the filaments thereof ranging from about 0.5 to 2900 cps and comprising an aqueous liquid component that boils or vaporizes at a temperature such that it can be removed by heating below a temperature at which the tufted backing is damaged by heat and an organic polymer component that bonds filaments of the stitches on removal of the aqueous liquid component, wherein the stitch bind composition is applied in an amount effective to provide about 0.2 to about 3 ounces of the organic polymer component or a residue thereof per square yard of the stitched side;
• contacting the tufted primary backing, an additional backing and a thermoplastic binder consisting entirely or essentially of a thermoplastic polyethylene resin having flow properties corresponding to an MI of about 2.2 to about 150 g/10 min. as measured in accordance with ASTM D 1238;
• and a viscosity between approximately 230,000 and 4,881,000 cps at about 270° F. with a shear rate of about 10 sec−1 as measured in accordance with ASTM D 3835 and that softens or melts at a temperature below a temperature at which the tufted primary backing and the additional backing are damaged by heat or that, when softened or melted, can contact the tufted primary backing and the additional backing without such damage, to form an intermediate structure having the thermoplastic binder disposed between the stitched side of the tufted primary backing and the additional backing;
• heating the tufted primary backing or the intermediate structure after application of the stitch bind composition to remove the aqueous liquid component without damaging the tufted primary or additional backing;
• heating the thermoplastic binder to soften or melt the thermoplastic resin without damaging the tufted backing or the additional backing;
• and
• cooling the intermediate structure with the thermoplastic resin in softened or melted form to solidify the resin.