Method for making polyurethane foam floor covering products with postconsumer carpet fibers

A process for preparing a foamed polyurethane floor covering product that includes a cured and gauged polyurethane foam cushion containing from 5 to 50% by weight of the fibers, comprising:

• a) forming a web layer containing at least 30% by weight fibers, such that the web layer has a weight of from 150 to 660 g/m2 and a thickness of 0.25 to 1 inch, and the fibers in the web layer have an average length of from 7 to 140 cm and a denier of 5 to 50;
• b) continuously applying a cooled polyurethane foam formulation which includes at least one polyisocyanate, water and at least one polyol having an equivalent weight of at least 500 to the web layer, the cooled polyurethane foam formulation having a temperature of no more than 15° C. when applied to the web layer, and compressing the web layer and applied polyurethane foam formulation together to 5 to 35% of the original thickness of the web layer to mechanically wet out the fibers in the web layer;
• and then
• c) gauging the wetted web layer to a thickness of from 0.25 to 1.0 inches and, while maintaining the gauge, heating the polyurethane foam formulation to a temperature of from 80 to 160° C. to cure the polyurethane foam formulation to produce a cured and gauged polyurethane foam cushion containing from 5 to 30% by weight of the fibers.