Abstract:
Flooring that utilizes sophisticated, self-stabilizing, woven face fabric using relatively heavy nullcarpet weightnull nylon, polyester, PTT or other yarns on modern Jacquard computer controlled looms to produce flat-weave fabrics that are bonded to engineered backing structures. Urethane modified bitumen may be used as a backing layer, and an optional latex precoat may be used on the fabric layer, together with an optional antimicrobial in the precoat.
Abstract:
A carpet in tile or roll form is produced using an open mesh reinforced foam layer with foam nodules. The carpet is produced having a primary backing through which carpet fiber bundles are tufted and a precoat layer which locks the tufts in place to prevent easy extraction of the fibers so that a tufted face and a relatively smooth back face are provided. The foam layer with foam nodules is brought into intimate contact with the relatively smooth back face, and is substantially permanently adhered to it producing a carpet tile or roll that is substantially prevented from curling or doming (or they are significantly reduced) and may be installed without adhesive if desired. Adhering may be practiced by using a non-fused adhesive formulation which is subsequently fused at a low temperature (about 310° F. or less), or by forcing the foam layer with foam nodules into contact with the carpet back while the hot melt backing is still in a fluid form, or by use of a thermoplastic layer between the carpet and foam sheet.
Abstract:
Secondary carpet backings woven in a flat weave construction from warp tapes and multifilament picks with 50 to about 100% theoretical coverage in the warp but less than full effective coverage and average pick counts of 10 to 20 per inch impart dimensional stability and high peel strength in carpets incorporating the backings and facilitate robust drying rates in manufacture of carpets.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an improved process for the production of artificial turf, and the improved artificial turf. In accordance with this process, fibers are treated via corona discharge, tufted into a primary backing to form a greige good, and a precoat is applied to the back surface the greige good. Suitable fibers are polyolefins, and suitable precoats are reactive polyurethane mixtures. The fibers may be treated by corona discharge either before they are tufted into the primary backing to form the greige good or after the are tufted into the primary backing. Artifical turfs of the present invention comprise a greige good having fibers tufted into a primary backing, with the fibers being treated by corona discharge either before or after being tufted into the primary backing, and a precoat which is attached by its face surface to the back surface of the greige good.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a composite backing suitable for use in the manufacturing of carpeting, particularly tufted synthetic turf carpeting, or any other fabric product where dimensional stability in the presence of thermal or moisture gradients is desirable. The composite backing comprises reinforcement strands integrated into a woven backing fabric. The reinforcement strands may be laid in an open network structure needlepunched into a woven backing or may also be integrated into the woven backing by directly weaving the reinforcement strands into the woven backing as it is being fabricated. A synthetic turf product may be constructed by tufting the composite backing.
Abstract:
Recyclable carpet products are made by incorporating a reactive compatibilizing agent in the precoat layer which is used to bond a polymeric face fiber layer to a backing polymeric layer where the polymers of the respective layers are otherwise incompatible to make homogeneous recycled blends.
Abstract:
Improvements in preventing heat- and moisture-shrink problems in specific polypropylene tape fibers are provided. Such fibers are basically manufactured through the initial production of polypropylene films or tubes which are then slit into very thin, though flat (and having very high cross sectional aspect ratios) tape fibers thereafter. Such fibers (and thus the initial films and/or tubes) require the presence of certain compounds that quickly and effectively provide rigidity to the target polypropylene tape fiber after beat-setting. Generally, these compounds include any structure that nucleates polymer crystals within the target polypropylene after exposure to sufficient heat to melt the initial pelletized polymer and upon allowing such a melt to cool. The compounds must nucleate polymer crystals at a higher temperature than the target polypropylene without the nucleating agent during cooling. In such a manner, the nullrigidifyingnull nucleator compounds provide nucleation sites for polypropylene crystal growth. Upon slitting of the initial film and/or tube, the fiber is then exposed to sufficient heat to grow the crystalline network, thus holding the fiber in a desired position. The preferred nullrigidifyingnull compounds include dibenzylidene sorbitol based compounds, as well as less preferred compounds, such as sodium benzoate, certain sodium and lithium phosphate salts (such as sodium 2,2null-methylene-bis-(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate, otherwise known as NA-11). Specific methods of manufacture of such inventive tape fibers, as well as fabric articles made therefrom, are also encompassed within this invention.
Abstract:
An improved cushioned carpet fabric is provided. The cushioned carpet comprises a primary carpet having a primary base and a plurality of pile-forming yarns projecting outwardly from one side. A layer of reinforcement material is bonded to the primary base on the side opposite the pile forming yarns. The reinforcement layer is adjacent to and embedded in, a cushion layer of a polymer such as a polyurethane. There is preferably no additional adhesive between the cushion layer and the layer of reinforcement material since the primary carpet fabric is mated in-situ to the polyurethane-forming composition without preheating the polyurethane-forming composition. An apparatus and process for forming the cushioned carpet fabric of the present invention are also provided.
Abstract:
Polymeric carpet and a method of making and recycling such carpet, the carpet having fibers, backing and extruded adhesive all of completely recyclable materials, the recycling being accomplished in one melting step, without a separation step.
Abstract:
A carpet backing, such as a primary carpet backing is a composite material comprising a woven fabric mechanically coupled to a bonded non-woven fabric. The woven fabric component may include monofilament warp yarns and monofilament fill yarns. The yarns may be woven using a plain weave. The bonded non-woven fabric component comprises synthetic fibers. The carpet backing combines the dimensional stability of non-woven fabric backings and the healability of woven fabric backings.