Back to results
US 8,669,297 B2Granted
Textile backing formed from recycled materials
AssigneeTandus Flooring, Inc.
InventorsPaul D. Evans, Jr., Gabe Moore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Backings for carpet and carpet tiles are formed from various post-consumer and/or post-industrial polymeric waste materials, for example, post-consumer textile waste material (e.g., carpet and carpet tiles), post-industrial textile waste material (e.g., carpet and/or carpet tiles), and/or other post-consumer and/or post-industrial polymeric materials.
Claims19
A method of making a textile backing from post-consumer textile backing waste and post-industrial polymeric waste, the method comprising:
- forming the post-consumer textile backing waste, wherein forming the post-consumer textile backing waste comprises
- shredding post-consumer textile waste, wherein the post-consumer textile waste comprises fibers joined to post-consumer backing, the post-consumer backing comprising compounded polyvinyl chloride, and wherein shredding the post-consumer textile waste at least partially separates the fibers from the post-consumer backing, and
- removing at least about 80% of the fibers from the shredded post-consumer textile waste to form the post-consumer textile backing waste, so that the post-consumer textile backing waste comprises at least about 80% compounded polyvinyl chloride, wherein the post-consumer textile backing waste is in a shredded condition;
- processing the post-industrial polymeric waste, the post-industrial polymeric waste comprising up to 100 wt % compounded polyvinyl chloride;
- delivering the post-consumer textile backing waste in the shredded condition to an extruder, wherein the post-consumer textile backing waste is delivered to the extruder in the shredded condition without being granulated or densified;
- extruding a mixture comprising from about 1 to about 3% blowing agent and from about 97 to about 99% combined polymeric waste, wherein the combined polymeric waste comprises from about 40 to about 100 wt % of the post-consumer textile backing waste and from 0 to about 60 wt % of the processed post-industrial polymeric waste;
- and
- heating the extruded mixture to a temperature above an activation temperature of the blowing agent to form the textile backing.
5 more elements
A method of making a textile backing, the method comprising:
- forming post-consumer textile backing waste, wherein forming the post-consumer textile backing waste comprises
- shredding post-consumer textile waste, wherein the post-consumer textile waste comprises fibers joined to post-consumer backing, the post-consumer backing comprising compounded polyvinyl chloride, and wherein shredding the post-consumer textile waste at least partially separates the fibers from the post-consumer backing, and
- removing at least about 90% of the fibers from the shredded post-consumer textile waste to form the post-consumer textile backing waste, so that the post-consumer textile backing waste comprises at least about 90% compounded polyvinyl chloride, wherein the post-consumer textile backing waste is in a shredded condition;
- separately densifying post-industrial polymeric waste, the post-industrial polymeric waste comprising up to 100 wt % compounded polyvinyl chloride, wherein densifying the post-industrial polymeric waste comprises at least one of compacting and pelletizing the post-industrial polymeric waste;
- delivering the post-consumer textile backing waste in the shredded condition, the densified post-industrial polymeric waste, and a blowing agent to an extruder to form a textile backing composition, wherein the post-consumer textile backing waste is delivered to the extruder in the shredded condition without being granulated or densified;
- extruding the textile backing composition;
- and
- activating the blowing agent to form the textile backing.
5 more elements
A method of making a textile backing, the method comprising:
- shredding post-consumer textile waste, wherein the post-consumer textile waste comprises fibers joined to post-consumer backing, the post-consumer backing comprising compounded polyvinyl chloride, and wherein shredding the post-consumer textile waste at least partially separates the fibers from the post-consumer backing, and
- removing at least about 85% of the fibers from the shredded post-consumer textile waste to form post-consumer textile backing waste, so that the post-consumer textile backing waste comprises at least about 85% compounded polyvinyl chloride;
- delivering the shredded post-consumer textile backing waste to an extruder, wherein the post-consumer textile backing waste is delivered to the extruder in the shredded condition without being granulated or densified;
- extruding a mixture comprising from about 1 to about 3% blowing agent and at least about 85% compounded polyvinyl chloride from the shredded post-consumer textile backing waste;
- and
- activating the blowing agent to form the textile backing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.