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US 9,062,412 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.
Claims22
A method of making a textile backing from post-consumer textile backing waste and, optionally, blended textile waste, wherein the blended textile waste includes at least one of post-consumer textile waste and post-industrial textile 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, wherein shredding the post-consumer textile waste at least partially separates the fibers from the post-consumer backing, and
- removing at least about 80 wt % 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 wt % compounded polyvinyl chloride, wherein the post-consumer textile backing waste is in a shredded condition;
- optionally and separately densifying the optional blended textile waste, wherein densifying the blended textile waste comprises at least one of compacting and pelletizing the optional blended textile waste;
- 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;
- and
- extruding a mixture comprising from about 75 to about 100 wt % of the post-consumer textile backing waste and from 0 to about 25 wt % of the optional blended textile waste to form the textile backing.
4 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 and 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;
- optionally and separately densifying blended textile waste, wherein densifying the blended textile waste comprises at least one of compacting and pelletizing the blended textile waste;
- delivering the post-consumer textile backing waste in the shredded condition and the optional densified blended textile waste 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
- calendering the textile backing composition 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, wherein shredding the post-consumer textile waste at least partially separates the fibers from the post-consumer backing, and
- removing at least about 85 wt % of the fibers from the shredded post-consumer textile waste to form post-consumer textile backing waste, such 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 the at least about 85 wt % compounded polyvinyl chloride from the shredded post-consumer textile backing waste;
- and
- calendering the extruded at least about 85 wt % compounded polyvinyl chloride to form the textile backing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.