Get documents about "Recent US Patents on Carpet Recycling
Document Sample
The Sixth Annual Conference on
Recycling of Polymer, Textile, and Carpet Waste
Youjiang Wang, Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA
Recent US Patents on Carpet Recycling
This talk briefly reviews recent US patents related to
carpet recycling. It provides a sampling of new
innovative processes, technologies and products. The
patents are reviewed in the following categories:
• chemical process-depolymerization
• other chemical processes
• component separation
• products,
• mechanical processing, and
• recyclable carpet.
Abstracts of these patents are provided in this handout.
Base on this information, full patents can be obtained
from the United States Patent and Trademark Office at:
http://www.uspto.gov/ or from libraries such as the
Georgia Tech Library (http://www.library.gatech.edu/).
April 30-May 1,2001
North West Georgia Trade & Convention Center, Dalton, Georgia
Recent United States Patents on Carpet Recycling
Compiled by Youjiang Wang, Ph.D., P.E.
What are included: Patents granted 1996-2001. US Patent Number (USP#), Title, Abstract, Inventors, Assignee, Date filed.
If the patent is preceded by one with similar abstract, the earlier patent is given at the end as: See also (VSP #).
Some parts are high-lighted by the compiler in bold face.
added catalyst, contacting the multi-component waste material
CHEMICAL PROCESSES with superheated steam at a temperature of about 250.degree. C.
to about 400.degree. C. and at a pressure within the range of
USP#6,187,917 Mayer, etal. February 13,2001 about 1 atm to about 100 atm and substantially less than the
saturated vapor pressure of water at the temperature wherein a
Process for the purification of caprolactam obtained from caprolactam-containing vapor stream is formed. The formed
the depolymerization of polyamide-containing carpet caprolactam may then be used in the production of engineered
Abstract resins and fibers.
The present invention provides a process for the
preparation of purified caprolactam comprising the steps Inventors: Sifniades; Stylianos (Madison, NJ); Levy;
of: (a) depolymerizing polyamide-containing carpet in Alan Bart (Randolph, NJ); Hendrix; Jan Agnes Jozef (Born, NL)
the presence of steam to obtain crude caprolactam and Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristown, NJ); DSM
steam; (b) condensing or distilling said crude caprolactam N.V. (NL)
and steam to form aqueous crude caprolactam comprising Appl. No.: 843502
at least ten percent by weight water; (c) removing Filed: April 16, 1997
substantially all floating oil from the aqueous crude
caprolactam so as to form a substantially floating oil-free See also: 5,681,952, Oct 28, 1997
aqueous crude caprolactam; (d) removing substantially all
of said water from said substantially floating oil-free
aqueous crude caprolactam; (e) distilling the resulting USP#5,656,757 Jenczewski, etal. August 12, 1997
concentrated crude caprolactam at a pressure of less than
about 8 mmHg and a temperature from about 1 lO.degree. Monomer recovery from multi-component materials
C. to about 145.degree. C. so as to form overheads and Abstract
bottoms of the caprolactam; and (f) crystallizing the A process for recovering monomer from multi-component
caprolactam overheads to obtain caprolactam crystals and waste material that includes a hydrolyzable polymer, includes
mother liquor. The resulting purified caprolactam may contacting the multi-component waste material with water and
then be used to make polycaprolactam which may then be subjecting the resulting mixture to heat and pressure to form a
used in engineered materials or spun into fiber. liquid aqueous portion and a water insoluble portion. The liquid
aqueous portion mainly includes depolymerization products of
Inventors: Mayer; Richard Eugene (Richmond, the hydrolyzable polymer, and the water insoluble portion
VA); Crescentini; Lamberto (Chester, VA); Jenczewski; mainly includes components other than the depolymerization
Theodore John (Midlothian, VA) products. This mixture is cooled and the liquid aqueous portion
Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristownship, NJ) and the water insoluble portion are separated. Monomer that
Appl. No.: 429269 formed the hydrolyzable polymer is recovered from the liquid
Filed: October 29, 1999 aqueous solution.
See also: 5,990306, Nov 23, 1999. Inventors: Jenczewski; Theodore John (Midlothian, VA);
Crescentini; Lamberto (Chester, VA); Mayer; Richard Eugene
(Richmond, VA)
USP#5,932,724 Sifniades, et al. August 3,1999 Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristown, NJ)
Appl. No.: 511334
Process for depolymerizing nylon-containing waste to Filed: August 10, 1995
form caprolactam
Abstract
The present invention provides an efficient process for the USP#5,929,234 Sifniades , et al. July 27, 1999
recovery of caprolactam from polycaprolactam-containing
waste material. The present process for depolymerizing Process for depolymerizing nylon-containing whole carpet to
multi-component waste material comprising form caprolactam
polycaprolactam and non-polycaprolactam components to Abstract
form caprolactam comprises the step of: in the absence of
The present invention provides an efficient process for the separating insoluble material from the second mixture; (c)
recovery of caprolactam from polycaprolactam-containing extracting the second mixture with an extraction agent to yield
waste material. The present process for depolymerizing an aqueous raffinate third mixture and an organic phase fourth
multi-component waste material comprising mixture comprising caprolactam and the extraction agent,
polycaprolactam and non-polycaprolactam components to wherein the extraction agent is an alkyl phenol having a boiling
form caprolactam comprises the step of: in the absence of point higher than that of the caprolactam; (d) recovering
added catalyst, contacting the multi-component waste caprolactam from the organic phase fourth mixture by
material with superheated steam at a temperature of about distillation; (e) recycling the aqueous raffinate third mixture to
250.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. and at a pressure step (a).
within the range of about 1 atm to about 100 atm and
substantially less than the saturated vapor pressure of Inventors: Frentzen; Yvonne H (Venlo, NL); Thijert;
water at the temperature wherein a caprolactam-containing Marcellinus P. G. (Augusta, GA); Zwart; Rudolf L. (Sittard,
vapor stream is formed. The formed caprolactam may then NL)
be used in the production of engineered resins and fibers. Assignee: DSM N.V. (Heerlen, NL)
Appl. No.: 005512
Inventors: Simiades; Stylianos (Madison, NJ); Filed: January 12, 1998
Levy; Alan Bart (Randolph, NJ); Hendrix; Jan Agnes Jozef
(Obbicht,NL)
Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristown, NJ); USP#5,977,193 Corbin , etal. November 2, 1999
DSMN.V.(NL)
Appl. No.: 082842 Reclaiming epsilon-caprolactam from nylon 6 carpet
Filed: May 21, 1998 Abstract
.epsilon.-Caprolactam is continuously recovered from carpet
made from nylon 6 face fibers and a backing. The carpet is fed
USP#5,668,277 Hendrix, etal. September 16,1997 to a separator to prepare scrap containing nylon 6 and auxiliary
materials. The scrap from the separator is fed to a
Depolymerization of polyamides depolymerizing reactor to produce an .epsilon.-caprolactam
Abstract containing distillate and more auxiliary materials. The .epsilon.-
One or more polyamides can be depolymerized in the caprolactam in the distillate is separated from other volatiles and
presence of at least one nitrogen-containing compound. purified. The auxiliary materials are also recovered or re-used.
The depolymerization takes place at a pressure between
about 0.5 and about 5 atm. The polyamide may be in the Inventors: Corbin; Thomas F. (Asheville, NC);
form of carpet waste or other heterogeneous form. Handermann; Alan C. (Asheville, NC); Kotek; Richard (Arden,
Advantages include better selectivity towards the NC); Porter; William D. (Asheville, NC); Dellinger; Jack A.
polyamide monomeric components and use of low (Weaverville, NC); Davis; Edward A. (Candler, NC)
pressure equipment to effect depolymerization. Assignee: BASF Corporation (Parsippany, NJ)
Appl. No.: 943795
Inventors: Hendrix; Jan A. J. (Obbicht, NL); Booij; Filed: September 11, 1992
Martin (Munstergeleen, NL); Frentzen; Yvonne H. (Venlo,
NL)
Assignee: DSM N.V. (NL) USP#5,559,159 Sublett, etal. September24, 1996
Appl. No.: 632082
Filed: April 15, 1996 Process including depolymerization in polyester reactor for
recycling polyester materials
Abstract
USP#6,111,099 Frentzen, etal. August 29, 2000 Previously used poly(ethylene terephthalate) polyester materials
and copolymers thereof, and in particular postconsumer
Process for the recovery of caprolactam from waste polyester materials, are depolymerized and repolymerized to
containing nylon produce bottle grade polymer containing up to 75% of the
Abstract previously used material. The process involves the
A process for depolymerizing nylon 6 and recovering solubilization and depolymerization of the previously used
caprolactam from the depolymerized products by polyester material in a transesterification and/or polymerization
extraction with alkyl phenolic compounds. Process steps mixture containing dimethylterephthalate, ethylene glycol and
include (a) treating a first mixture comprising nylon 6 with transesterification products thereof.
water at a temperature between about 200.degree. C. and
about 400.degree. C. to yield a second mixture comprising Inventors: Sublett; Bobby J. (Kingsport, TN); Connell;
depolymerized nylon 6 components, wherein the second Gary W. (Church Hill, TN)
mixture contains caprolactam at a concentration between Assignee: Eastman Chemical Company (Kingsport, TN)
about 5 wt. % and about 35 wt. %; (b) optionally, Appl. No.: 570175
Filed: December 7,1995 monomeric constituent in said temperature program range;
differentially heating said feed stream at a heat rate within the
first temperature program range to provide differential pyrolysis
USP#5,532,404 Gallagher July 2,1996 for selective recovery of optimum quantities of the high value
monomeric constituent prior to pyrolysis of other plastic
Monomer recovery process for contaminated polymers components; separating the high value monomeric constituents;
Abstract selecting a second higher temperature range to cause pyrolysis
An improved process for recovering reaction products of a different high value monomeric constituent of said plastic
from polymers such as polyesters or polyamides, waste and differentially heating the feedstream at the higher
especially those having a desired polymer level below temperature program range to cause pyrolysis of the different
about 98%. The process involves depolymerization and high value monomeric constituent; and separating the different
vapor phase extraction of monomers in the presence of a high value monomeric constituent.
solid support.
Inventors: Evans; Robert J. (Lakewood, CO); Chum;
Inventors: Gallagher; Francis G. (Wilmington, DE) Helena L. (Arvada, CO)
Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Assignee: Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City,
(Wilmington, DE) MO)
Appl.No.: 250391 Appl. No.: 350392
Filed: May 27, 1994 Filed: December 6,1994
USP#5,919,927 Moens July 6, 1999 USP#5,905,168 Dos Santos, et al. May 18,1999
Purification of caprolactam from recycled nylon Process for treating a material comprising a polymer by
Abstract hydrolysis
A method of removing l,ll-diamino-6-undecanone from Abstract
the pyrolysis product of nylon comprising: a) pyrolyzing Process for the treatment of a material comprising a polymer,
nylon-6 to form a pyrolyzate containing a caprolactam especially a polyamide. The process consists in subjecting the
mixture; b) dissolving the caprolactam mixture in a solvent polyamide to hydrolysis in the presence of a hydrolyzing
to form a solution; c) passing carbon dioxide gas through nitrous grouping and transforming the hydrolyzed compounds
the solution to form a precipitate; d) removing the into diacids. The treatment of a polyamide 6.6 results in the
precipitate from the solution; and e) recovering the recovery of adipic acid and other diacids corresponding to the
purified caprolactam from the solution. participating acid monomer and to the transformation of at least
one part of the diamine monomer into diacids.
Inventors: Moens; Luc (Lakewood, CO)
Assignee: Midwest Research Institute (Kansas Inventors: Dos Santos; Emmanuel (Feyzin, FR);
City, MO) Mettvier; Pascal (Sainte-Foy-les-Lyon, FR); Gubelmann;
Appl. No.: 058403 Michel (Paris, FR)
Filed: April 9, 1998 Assignee: Rhone-Poulenc Chimie (Courbevoie Cedex,
FR)
Appl. No.: 454215
USP#5,821,553 Evans, etal. October 13, 1998 Filed: July 25,1995
Pyrolysis and hydrolysis of mixed polymer waste
comprising polyethyleneterephthalate and polyethylene USP#5,495,015 Bassler, etal. February27, 1996
to sequentially recover
Abstract Process for producing caprolactam through hydrolytic
A process of using fast pyrolysis in a carrier gas to convert cleavage of molten polycaprolactam
a plastic waste feedstream having a mixed polymeric Abstract
composition in a manner such that pyrolysis of a given Caprolactam is obtained from caprolactam-containing polymers
polymer to its high value monomeric constituent occurs in the presence of superheated water by bringing polymers
prior to pyrolysis of other plastic components therein which contain the repeating unit --[--N(H)-(CH.sub.2).sub.5 ~
comprising: selecting a first temperature program range to C(0)~]~ or mixtures consisting essentially of
cause pyrolysis of said given polymer to its high value
monomeric constituent prior to a temperature range that from 40 to 99.9%
causes pyrolysis of other plastic components; selecting a by weight of a polymer containing the repeat-
catalyst and support for treating said feed streams with said ing unit «[--N(H)--(CH.sub.2).sub.5 - C ( 0 ) ~ ] - ,
catalyst to effect acid or base catalyzed reaction pathways from 0.01 to 50%
to maximize yield or enhance separation of said high value by weight of additives selected from the group
consisting of inorganic fillers, organic and
inorganic pigments and dyes, Selective polyamide recovery from multi-component materials
from 0 to 10% Abstract
by weight of organic and/or inorganic A process for selectively separating polyamides from multi-
additives, component waste materials including the steps of subjecting the
from 0 to 40% multi-component mix to a specific mixture of caprolactam and
by weight of non-poly amide-containing water at a preselected temperature range below the degradation
polymers and temperature of the polymer to be recovered, separating the
from 0 to 60% formed polyamide solution, and recovering the desired
by weight of polyamides, with the exception of polyamide. The process is very desirable for separating multi-
polycaprolactam and copolyamides prepared component waste materials which contain not only nylon 6,
from caprolactam, but also nylon 6,6. The recovered polyamide may be used in
molding applications and in fiber such as carpet fiber.
into contact with superheated water at from 280.degree. to
320.degree. C. and from 7.5 to 15 MPa and a weight ratio Inventors: Mohajer; Yousef (Midlothian, VA); Izod;
of water to polymer containing the repeating unit --[-- Thomas Paul (Midlothian, VA); Fisher; William Bernard
N(H)-(CH.sub.2).sub.5 ~C(0)~]~ of from 5:1 to 13:1 (Chester, VA); Hacker; Scott Martin (River Edge, NJ)
and in a reaction time of less than 3 hours, with the proviso Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristown, NJ)
that the reaction mixture, consisting essentially of water Appl. No.: 840977
and the polymer used or the mixture used, contains no Filed: April 21, 1997
gaseous phase under the conditions of the hydrolysis.
Inventors: Bassler; Peter (Viemheim, DE); Kopietz; USP#5,710,315 Gallagher January 20, 1998
Michael (Grunstadt, DE)
Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft Monomer recovery process for contaminated polymers
(Ludwigshafen, DE) Abstract
Appl. No.: 355286 An improved process for recovering depoly merization
Filed: December 12, 1994 products from polymers such as polyesters, polyamides, and
polyesteramides, especially when the starting polymer content
is less than about 98%. The depolymerization and vapor phase
USP#5,840,773 Booij, etal. November 24, 1998 recovery of monomers and other reaction products are
conducted in the presence of a solid support.
Process for recovering and recycling polyamide from
carpet waste Inventors: Gallagher; Francis Glenn (Wilmington, DE)
Abstract Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
The present invention relates to a process for treating (Wilmington, DE)
polyamide-containing carpet waste by extracting the Appl. No.: 668760
polyamide from the carpet waste with an extraction Filed: June 24, 1996
agent containing an aliphatic alcohol. The separated
polyamide can then be recovered from the extract and
recycled for further use. In addition, carpet waste USP#5,916,410
containing two polyamides can be treated in accordance Goulet, etal. June29,1999
with the present invention so as to separately recover each
polyamide. The process according to the present invention Carpet reclamation process
provides a high yield of the polyamide. The presence of Abstract
other constituents normally present in carpets does not A process for the reclamation of base materials from carpet is
interfere with the separating and recycling of the disclosed. The process includes contacting the carpet with a
polyamide. composition which contains a chemical softening agent for the
binder material in the carpet and separating the carpet pile
Inventors: Booij; Martin (Munstergeleen, NL); from the carpet backing(s).
Hendrix; Jan A.J. (Obbicht, NL); Frentzen; Yvonne H.
(Venlo, NL); Beckers; Nicolaas M.H. (Cadier en Keer, Inventors: Goulet; Roger Joseph (Burlington, CA);
NL) Ramsden; Peter Michael (Milton, CA); Williams; Susan Ramilo
Assignee: DSM N.V. (Heerlen, NL) (Pace, FL); Dickerson; Jerauld Lee (Pensacola, FL)
Appl. No.: 701612 Assignee: Monsanto Company (St. Louis, MO)
Filed: August 22, 1996 Appl. No.: 817402
Filed: August 25, 1997
USP#5,889,142 Mohajer, etal. March30, 1999
USP#6,083,283 Berkstresser, IV , etal. July 4,2000 COMPONENT SEPARATION
Method for removing color from ionically dyeable USP#6,140,463 Stefandl October 31, 2000
polymeric materials
Abstract Process for recycling and recovery of purified nylon polymer
A method for removing color and extracting dyes from Abstract
ionically dyeable polymeric materials is provided. The The invention comprises an improved recycling and recovery
method includes contacting the ionically dyeable process for rugs, flooring, carpeting, carpeting materials, and
polymeric material with a swelling agent for the material other textiles particular from waste carpet containing at least
under conditions sufficient to effect diffusion of the dye some synthetic fiber backing materials, and at least some nylon
from the material. The process is especially useful for as well, and more particularly for the separation and recovery of
removing colors from ionically dyeable polymeric the nylon polymers in purified and reusable condition and also
materials as part of a recycling process for such materials. recovery of other polymeric fibers and materials which may be
Also, the extracted dye may be recovered for re-use as the present and can be recycled and reused.
swelling agent and contacting composition are
substantially non-reactive with the dye. (Comment: critical fluid separation technique)
Inventors: Berkstresser, IV; Gordon A. Inventors: Stefandl; Roland E. (62 Cider Hill, Upper
(Cantonment, FL); Dunbar; Richard A. (Gulf Breeze, FL); Saddle River, NJ 07458)
McLellan; George R. (Pensacola, FL); Plischke; Le Moyne Appl. No.: 191385
W. (Lillian, AL); Yang; Yiqi (Charlottesville, VA) Filed: November 13, 1998
Assignee: Solutia Inc. (St. Louis, MO)
Appl. No.: 019911 See also: 5,898,063, April 27, 1999
Filed: February 6, 1998
USP#5,994,417 Roberts, etal. November 30, 1999
USP#6,036,726 Yang, etal. March 14,2000
Process for recovering polymers from commingled materials
Process for separating polyamide from colorant Abstract
Abstract A process for recovering polymers from commingled materials
A process for recycling colored polyamide material is disclosed. In general, the process includes first contacting the
comprises the steps of (a) contacting solid colored commingled materials with a solvent which selectively
polyamide material with an organic solvent composition at dissolves the polymer to form a solvent and polymer solution.
a temperature effective to dissolve the polyamide, thereby The solvent and polymer solution is then contacted with an anti-
forming a solution containing colorant and dissolved solvent into which the solvent is soluble but into which the
polyamide; and (b) separating colorant from the polymer is insoluble. When the solvent and polymer solution is
polyamide. The process can optionally further comprise contacted with the anti-solvent, the anti-solvent causes the
the step of recovering the colorant, recovering the polymer to nucleate and precipitate from the solution. In one
polyamide, or recovering both the polymer and colorant. embodiment, it has been found that the process of the present
The organic solvent composition preferably is selected invention is particularly well adapted to recovering nylon from
from the group consisting of aliphatic and aromatic commingled materials such as carpet waste.
ketones, aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, diols, water, and
combinations thereof. Solvent compositions comprising at Inventors: Roberts; Christopher B. (Auburn, AL);
least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of Griffith; Aron T. (Opelika, AL)
butanediol, butanol, ethanol, and benzyl alcohol are Assignee: Auburn University (AL)
preferred, such as aqueous solutions of 1-butanol or Appl. No.: 869050
ethanol. Filed: June 4,1997
Inventors: Yang; Yiqi (Charlottesville, VA);
Plischke; Le Moyne W. (Lillian, AL); McLellan; George USP#5,849,804 Sarian, etal. December 15,1998
R. (Pensacola, FL); Dickerson; Jerauld L. (Pensacola, FL)
Assignee: Solutia Inc. (St. Louis, MO) Recovery of polyamides from composite articles
Appl. No.: 019910 Abstract
Filed: February 6, 1998 A process for recovering polyamide from composite articles
that contain polyamide involves (a) subjecting at substantially
nondepolymerizing conditions the composite article to a
solvent for polyamide for a time sufficient to dissolve
substantially all of the polyamide and leaving an insoluble
fraction; (b) separating insoluble fraction of the composite
article from the dissolved polyamide; and (c) precipitating Assignee: Zimmer Aktiengesellschaft (Frankfurt, DE)
the dissolved polyamide with appropriate precipitants. Appl. No.: 356688
Filed: December 15,1994
Inventors: Sarian; Arlen K. (Lafayette, CO);
Handermann; Alan C. (Asheville, NC); Jones; Simon
(Leimen, DE); Davis; Edward Alan (Pulaski, VA); Adhya; USP#5,952,660 Kip, etal. September 14,1999
Atish (Asheville, NC)
Assignee: BASF Corporation (Mt. Olive, NJ); Method of identifying post consumer or post industrial waste
BASF Aktiengesellschaft (Ludwigshafen, DE) carpet utilizing a hand-held infrared spectrometer
Appl. No.: 670948 Abstract
Filed: June 26,1996 A method and apparatus for use in the recycling of post
consumer or post industrial waste carpet or Polyamide-6 and/or
Polyamide-66 containing non-carpet waste utilizes a hand-held
USP#5,722,603 Costello , etal. March 3, 1998 portable device utilizing spectroscopic principles to
accurately and quickly identify the material of the waste
Process for separation and recovery of waste carpet (carpet). The spectrometer envisioned for this task includes an
components infrared radiation source for illuminating the waste (carpet)
Abstract sample, a selector for selecting a predetermined number of
A process for separating and recovering waste carpet discrete wavelengths and a detection system to detect reflected
material components, especially face fiber material, radiation within the discrete wavelengths. The selector can be
includes removing adhesive material from the waste either a plate with a plurality of slots which positionally
carpet material feedstock to obtain a mixture containing correspond to locations in a dispersed light beam according to
face fiber material which is passed with a liquid medium the predetermined discrete wavelengths or a plurality of filters
to a hydrocyclone, where the solids in the mixture are selected to pass the discrete wavelengths. The selection of the
separated on the basis of specific gravity, and recovered. discrete wavelengths can either take place before the carpet
The recovered components can then be processed into sample is irradiated or can take place by selecting the discrete
desired products. wavelengths from reflected radiation.
Inventors: Costello; Michael Robert (Chester, VA); Inventors: Kip; Berend J. (Sittard, NL); Peters; Edo A. T.
Keller; Bernd Roman (Obbicht, NL) (Maasrtricht, NL); Happel; Jens (Munster, DE); Huth-Fehre;
Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. /DSM N.V. Thomas (Munster, DE); Kowol; Frank (Munster, DE)
(Morristown, NJ) Assignee: DSM N.V. & Institut fur Chemo (Heerlen,
Appl. No.: 563810 NL); Biosensorik (Munster, DE)
Filed: November 28, 1995 Appl. No.: 003502
Filed: January 6,1998
USP#5,598,980 Dilly-Louis , et al. February 4, 1997
USP#6,059,207 Costello, etal. May 9, 2000
Process for the separation of carpet materials
Abstract Process for recovering high value polymer from carpet selvage
Process for separating preshredded carpet materials into waste
as many as three main components of different densities Abstract
which comprises finely comminuting the carpet materials The present invention provides an inexpensive process which
in the liquid phase. The density of the liquid phase is can be placed in the carpet mill to add value to carpet selvage
adjusted to a level between two adjacent densities of the waste by segregating the various materials used to manufacture
components. Separation of one component from the other the selvage waste. The process for segregating at least one
components and from the liquid phase in the suspension is component of a carpet selvage waste comprises the steps of: a.
effected in a double-cone full-jacketed screw centrifuge. providing carpet selvage waste from carpet manufacturing
The process is repeated if there are two materials of comprised of tufts comprised of face fiber material, primary
different densities in the other components fraction. The backing, an adhesive and optionally a secondary backing, b.
process is useful for recovering nylon, polyester, or identifying face fiber type used in the tufts in the carpet selvage,
polypropylene from carpet scraps which nylon or c. removing the face fiber from the carpet selvage such that the
polyester can be depolymerized to reusable monomers and face fiber is essentially free of the primary backing and residual
which polypropylene can be reprocessed into pellets, non- adhesive and d. segregating the removed face fiber from the
wovens or fibers. remainder of the carpet selvage in a mechanical system which
segregates fiber by fiber type to obtain a relatively pure stream
Inventors: Dilly-Louis; Wolfgang (Friedberg, DE); of the face fiber. All removed, segregated components may be
Seelig; Joachim (Biebergemuend, DE); Wolf; Reinhard recycled and/or reused.
(Rodenbach, DE)
Inventors: Costello; Michael Robert (Richmond, Appl. No.: 076544
VA); Sloan; Forrest Eugene (Chesterfield, VA); Duffy; Filed: May 12,1998
Edward Aloysius (Richmond, VA); Babb; Walter Michael
(Rocky Face, GA); Ward; Allen Edens (Dalton, GA)
Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristown, NJ) USP#6,155,020 Deem December 5,2000
Appl.No.: 105717
Filed: June 26, 1998 Shredded carpet insulation
Abstract
The present invention provides an economical and efficient
PRODUCTS FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS insulation material formed from recycled carpet waste.
Carpet waste is readily available and is currently landfilled. The
USP#6,214,908 Lem, etal. April 10,2001 resulting insulation product of the invention is a high-efficiency,
low-cost building insulation material.
Composition containing novel modifier
Abstract Inventors: Deem; Thomas (108 Stahl Dr., Philo, IL
A composition comprising a binder and a residue wherein 61801)
the residue comprises a blend of polypropylene, styrene Appl. No.: 323217
butadiene rubber and calcium carbonate. The residue is a Filed: June 1, 1999
novel material derived as a coproduct from the
medium-pressure depolymerization of nylon 6 carpet.
The compositions are useful as road asphalt, asphalt roof USP#6,037,282 Milding, etal. March 14,2000
membranes, molding compounds, and plastic lumber such
as palisades and spacers. Nonwoven material comprising a certain proportion of recycled
fibres originating from nonwoven and/or textile waste
Inventors: Lem; Kwok Wai (Randolph, NJ); Letton; Abstract
Alan (Morristown, NJ); Izod; Thomas Paul John Nonwoven material produced by hydroentangling a fiber
(Midlothian, VA); Lupton; Francis Stephen (Evanston, web, comprising recycled fibers with a fiber length of between
IL); Bedwell; William Brian (Chicago, IL) 5 and 60 mm and a fineness of between 0.1 and 20 dtex, which
Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc. (Morristown, NJ) are constituted by fibers which are mechanically shredded or
Appl. No.: 356622 torn from nonwoven waste, textile waste or the like. The fibers
Filed: July 19, 1999 are mixed with each other and possibly with new fibers in a wet-
formed, foam-formed, air-laid or dry-laid fiber web which is
hydroentangled with sufficient energy for forming a compact
USP#6,213,557 Aebischer , et al. April 10, 2001 absorbent material.
Vehicle seat assembly with thermoformed fibrous Inventors: Milding; Ebbe (Molnlycke, SE); Holm; Ulf
suspension panel (Goteborg, SE); Lammers; Gerhard (Noordbergum, NL)
Abstract Assignee: SCA Hygiene Paper AB (Goteborg, SE)
A vehicle seat assembly having a suspension panel for the Appl. No.: 776750
seat pad that is formed of resin impregnated Filed: February 13, 1997
compressed fibrous bat. The suspension panel is formed
with corrugations and other contours to enable the
suspension panel to flex in a predetermined manner to USP#5,914,353 Grizzle, etal. June22, 1999
provide suspension to a seat pad. The suspension panel,
when used in the seat back can also form the rear trim Process of recycling waste polymeric material and an article
panel of the seat back thus reducing the number of utilizing the same
components in the seat back as the suspension panel serves Abstract
multiple functions. The fibrous panel can be reclaimed The present invention provides for an improved process for
after the useful life of the seat and manufactured into a recycling waste polymeric material comprising a mixture of
new panel thereby reducing the quantity of seat waste polymeric material wherein the waste polymeric material
components that are scrapped after use. In addition, includes from about 0 to 40 percent aliphatic polyamide
recycled fibers can be used originally thereby increasing material; granulating and densifying the chopped mixture into
the amount of recycled content in the seat assembly. fragments at least about 100 times smaller than the size of the
waste polymeric material; and extruding the ground mixture
Inventors: Aebischer; Silvio (Grand Rapids, MI); at a temperature that does not exceed the temperature at which
Dellinger; Thomas J. (Zeeland, MI); Burmeister; Eric the largest portion of polymer based material decomposes.
(Zeeland, MI); Bush; Neil J. (Pinckney, MI)
Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
(Plymouth, MI)
Inventors: Grizzle; Mark L. (Whitfield County, achieved by coating the individual yarn fibers with a low
GA); Preston; Lynn E. (Bartow County, GA); Zegler; viscosity adhesive that is dispersed or dissolved in a suitable
Stephen A. (Cohutta, GA); Weinle; Paul L. (Concord, NC) solvent to affect coverage of the fine fibers, and arranging the
Assignee: Collins & Aikman Floorcoverings, Inc. coated fibers in layers to affect the most desirable physical
(Dalton, GA) properties and then cured to provide a high modulus matrix for
Appl. No.: 897264 the coated fibers in the laminate structure. The fibers may be
Filed: July 18,1997 from unshredded or shredded waste carpets, shredded waste
woven or non woven fabrics, fabric bits, and knitted fabrics.
See also: 5,855,981 (1/5/99); 5,728,741 (3/17/98) When the carpet is used in an as received condition, the face
yarns, which may contain one or more components yarns, are
coated and the carpets are arranged in a sandwich construction
USP#6,211,275 Xanthos, etal. April 3, 2001 wherein the backings of the two carpets are placed back-to-
back, e.g., (F-B-(B-F).sub.n -B-F, (n=0 or an integer value,
Wood substitute composition and process for producing F=face yarn and B=backing) and then heated under applied
same pressure to affect a cure of the resin coating and the adhesion
Abstract between carpet backing layers. The resulting laminate consists
Provided herein is a wood substitute composition that of two outer fibrous layers that contains the unmelted yarns
utilizes in its production heretofore unused waste material bundles from the carpet in a high modulus matrix.
produced in the reclamation of nylon from discarded
carpet, along with processes for produced the wood Inventors: Kotliar; Abraham M. (Athens, GA);
substitute composition. The wood substitute composition Michielsen; Stephen (Lawrenceville, GA)
shares similar properties to wood, and hence has numerous Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (Atlanta,
applications in the building and construction industries. GA)
Appl. No.: 786556
Inventors: Xanthos; Marino (Fort Lee, NJ); Dey; Filed: January 21, 1997
Subir K. (Bridgewater, NJ)
Assignee: New Jersey Institute of Technology
(Newark, NJ) USP#5,626,939
Appl. No.: 190041 Kotlair, et al. May 6, 1997
Filed: November 10, 1998
Synthetic wood from waste fibrous waste products
Abstract
USP#6,180,192 Smith, etal. January 30, 2001 A composition of matter and a process for the preparation
thereof is disclosed for a fibrous composite (e.g., synthetic
Solids produced from ash and process for producing the wood). The fibrous composite contains 50 to 95% by weight
same carpet and 5 to 50% by weight of a structural adhesive.
Abstract Structural adhesives effective in this application would include
A compressed solid produced from a feed mixture of phenol-formaldehyde resins, either of the resole or novalac type,
bottom ash and a binder. The feed mixture includes about phenol-formaldehyde resins that have at least one other co-
80% to 95% by weight bottom ash, or at least about 50% monomer present, e.g., bis-phenol A, resorcinol, and other
by weight bottom ash in combination with other waste substituted phenols, urea-formaldehyde resins, melamine urea
materials, in combination with a polyisocyanate-based formaldehyde resins, tannin-phenol-formaldehyde resins,
binder. diisocyanate resin, epoxy resins, crosslinkable polyvinyl acetate,
proteins, e.g., soy flour, blood and polyester resins. The process
Inventors: Smith; Greg M. (St. Louis, MO); steps necessary for the formation of the fibrous composite
Sendijarevic; Vahid (Troy, MI); Klempner; Daniel would include at least the steps of shredding the carpet without
(Bloomfield, MI); Frisch; Kurt C. (Grosse He, MI) component separation thereof to form carpet fibers, coating a
Assignee: Wood Waste Energy, Inc. (St. Louis, resin on the carpet fibers to form resin coated fibers, curing the
MO) resin coated fibers under a pressure and a temperature sufficient
Appl. No.: 823222 to cure the resin and form a fibrous composite, and cooling the
Filed: March 24, 1997 composite. The carpet is typically shredded to produce fibers of
from 1/8 to 3/4 of an inch. In one aspect of the invention, fabric,
either natural or synthetic is added to the shredded carpet.
USP#5,912,062 Kotliar, etal. June 15, 1999
Inventors: Kotlair; Abraham M. (Athens, GA);
Utilization of waste fibers in laminates Fountain; Daniel P. (Kirksville, MO)
Abstract Assignee: Georgia Tech (Atlanta, GA)
The present invention provides compositions and Appl. No.: 523257
processes wherein recycling of waste carpets and textiles is Filed: September 5, 1995
Inventors: David; Donald J. (11 Indian Pipe La.,
Amherst, MA 10025); Dickerson; Jerauld L. (10165 Noreiga
USP#5,786,280 Funger, etal. July28,1998 La., Pensacola, FL 32514); Sincock; Thomas F. (29 Simsburg
Manor Dr., Weatague, CT 06089)
Molded part and method of its production Appl. No.: 512133
Abstract Filed: August 7, 1995
Carpet material with at least a proportion of uncleaned
used carpets is shredded to form a fiber-like wooly mass. Note: Work by Monsato/Solutia
The carpet material contains a thermoplastic binder with a
low melting point, for example polypropylene, which can See also: 5,498,667 March 12, 1996
be derived from the used carpets or be added. Furthermore,
a duroplastically hardening binder, for example phenolic
resin, is added to the carpet material. The carpet USP#5,565,158
material is compressed to form the molded part or panel Sullivan, etal. October 15, 1996
with these two binders, at a temperature which lies above
the plasticizing point of the thermoplastic binder, but Process for recycling multicomponent mixed polymer wastes
below the plasticizing point of any other thermoplastic Abstract
components of the carpet material. A process of recycling a multicomponent mixed polymer
waste material involves the steps of agglomerating the
Inventors: Funger; Bernhard (Krefeld, DE); Gruber; multicomponent mixed polymer waste material and spinning
Heinz (Tonisvorst, DE) the agglomerate to form yarn, wherein the multicomponent
Assignee: Eduard Kusters Maschinenfabrik GmbH mixed polymer waste material contains a blend of at least two
& Co. KG (Krefeld, DE) incompatible polymers.
Appl.No.: 264661
Filed: June 23, 1994 Inventors: Sullivan; James P. (Fair Play, SC); Hoyt;
Matthew B. (Arden, NC)
Assignee: BASF Corporation (Mount Olive, NJ)
USP#5,859,071 Young, etal. January 12, 1999 Appl. No.: 342013
Filed: November 16,1994
Recycling of carpet scrap
Abstract
A polymeric blend formed from recycled carpet scrap MECHANICAL PROCESSING
and selected compatibilizing agents and/or a
poly(ethylene-co-omylacetate) and the products produced USP#6,182,913 Howe, etal. February6,2001
from such blend.
Method and apparatus for reclaiming carpet components
Inventors: Young; Dennis C. (Mechanicsburg, PA); Abstract
Chlystek; Stanley J. (Mountville, PA); Malloy; Robert A system for reclaiming carpet components such as yarn,
(Londonderry, NH); Rios; Ivan (Washington, DC) tufting primary, binder, and secondary backing wherein the
Assignee: Lear Corporation (Southfield, MI) carpet is sprayed with a high velocity water spray so as to
Appl. No.: 998953 disjoint the components from one another, and thereafter,
Filed: December 29, 1997 separating the secondary backing from the yarn and tufting
primary. Desirably, water is removed from the disjointed carpet
See also: 5,852,115 (12/22/98); 5,719,198 (2/17/98) after spraying the carpet with high pressure water spray. This
system is useful for reclaiming components of broadloom carpet
and carpet tiles and cleanly and efficiently separates tie
USP#5,591,802 David, etal. January7, 1997 components of carpet.
Thermoplastic composition and method for producing Inventors: Howe; Michael A. (Rockmart, GA); White;
thermoplastic composition by melt blending carpet Samuel H. (Cedartown, GA); Locklear; Samuel G. (Centre, AL)
Abstract Assignee: Interface, Inc. (LaGrange, GA)
The present invention is directed to a process for forming a Appl. No.: 236878
thermoplastic composition from carpet wherein a carpet Filed: January 25,1999
sample are melt blended without separating the carpet
into its component parts. The process of the present
invention produces a thermoplastic composition useful as a USP#6,126,096 Robinson, et al. October 3, 2000
substitute for virgin thermoplastics in a variety of
applications. Method and apparatus for separating and recovering
fractional components of carpet
Abstract other processing methods which use cold dry abrasion, such as
A process is disclosed for the separation and recovery of the use of freezing to render the latex binder brittle, coupled
fractional components of used carpet. Although the with the use of pellets made of a compatible material (such as
disclosed process is operable with either jute-backed or nylon pellets, for carpets with nylone piles) as abrasive agents
vinyl-backed carpet, an alternative process is preferred for that can be mixed with the pile fibers that are recovered from a
vinyl-backed carpet to permit the sequential removal of the carpet without decreasing the value of the reclaimed pile
vinyl backing with most of the fiberglass stabilizer intact. material.
The process includes the chilling of appropriately sized
carpet pieces and preferably pre-soaking the used carpet Inventors: Bacon; Forrest C. (2175 Surrey Trail,
pieces before chilling, followed by the introduction of the Conyers, GA 30208); Holland; Wendell R. (Rte. 2, Box 289B,
pre-conditioned used carpet pieces into a cyclonic Doniphan, MO 63935); Holland; Lial H. (Rte. 2, Doniphan, MO
comminuter which reduces the carpet pieces into 63935)
fractional components. The chilling step could lower the Appl. No.: 579264
temperature of the soaked carpet pieces to or below Filed: December 27, 1995
freezing to stiffen the backing material and enhance the
comminution process. Processes for the recovery of the
separated fractional components include collecting the USP#6,061,876 Rowe May 16, 2000
components from the respective discharges from the
cyclonic comminuter, washing, and separating by Textile recycling machine
carding, static charges, pressure gradients and the like. Abstract
This effective process will allow for greater utilization of A textile fiber recycling machine for reprocessing hard thread
carpet recycling operations to prevent used carpet from waste, woven and non-woven fabrics, carpets, rugs, and the like.
being disposed in land fills. Material to be recycled is fed in pieces, or in roll form, into the
machine. The machine includes a plurality of wire wound
Inventors: Robinson; Forrest L. (12913 Woodson rolls positioned adjacent to one another and operating at
Dr., Overland Park, KS 66209); Campbell; Willis R. successively higher rotational speeds from the inlet side to the
(14129 Locust St., Olathe, KS 66062) outlet side of the machine. Closely spaced adjacent the rollers
Appl.No.: 321689 are carding segments. The rollers downstream of the entry
Filed: May 28, 1999 roller include pairs of carding segments, with the leading
carding segment being wire clothed, and the trailing carding
See also: 5,908,164, June 1, 1999 segment being covered with a granular covering, such as
sandpaper. The machine outputs open, usable fibers which can
be used in subsequent conventional textile processes. A method
USP#5,704,104 Bacon, etal. January6, 1998 of attaching sandpaper to a carding segment is also disclosed.
Method and machine for recycling discarded carpets Inventors: Rowe; Robert G. (Mauldin, SC)
Abstract Assignee: John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels, Inc.
A method and machine are disclosed for using a cold dry (Greenville, SC)
abrasion step for separating segments of discarded carpet Appl. No.: 096409
into pile material (usually nylon) and backing layers Filed: June 11, 1998
(usually polypropylene) for recycling. A preferred method
of abrasion uses dry ice pellets (made of frozen carbon
dioxide) which are ejected at high speed from a set of USP#6,029,916 White February 29, 2000
nozzles that shoot the pellets directly into an abrasion
zone, as a segment of discarded carpet on a conveyor System and method for decomposing reclaiming and refusing
system is being stripped apart and disassembled. The dry waste carpet materials
ice pellets "freeze" the binder material (usually latex) by Abstract
lowering it to a temperature that makes the binder brittle A system and method for reclaiming backing material from
and easy to break apart. The pellets also serve as abrasive waste carpet or other products includes a chopper capable of
agents, in a manner comparable to sand-blasting; however, handling large pieces of waste carpet, at least two grinding or
unlike sandblasting or liquid (steam or chemical) systems, granulation steps to reduce the size of the waste carpet pieces
the dry ice pellets evaporate (sublimate) directly into gas and to dislodge carpet fibers from the remaining material, and at
without going through a liquid phase, and without leaving least three separation steps to remove the dislodged fibers; one
any liquid or gritty residue. This eliminates the need for a of the separation steps involves vibratory screening. Backing
drying operation, which saves time and energy and avoids material reclaimed in this manner has a relatively low
a potential air pollution problem; it also renders the contamination level, and is suitable for reuse as carpet backing
recyclable output material free of unwanted liquid with little need for the addition of virgin backing material. The
residues, grit, or other materials that would decrease the system and method further provide for the extrusion of the
value of the output material. This invention also discloses reclaimed backing material for use as new carpet backing.
about 1/8 of an inch. The passing flat faces on the tines are at a
Inventors: White; David Wayne (LaGrange, GA) slight angle to each other, the outer ends of rotor tines passing
Assignee: Terra Technologies, Inc. (La Grange, stator tines ahead of the inner ends in a scissors-like fashion.
GA) The rotor speed is a function of the material being shredded, and
Appl. No.: 008374 has a value of at least 500 rotations per minute. A multi-stage
Filed: January 16, 1998 shredding assembly may be created in which the output from
one shredding apparatus feeds another shredding apparatus.
USP#5,897,066 Bacon, etal. April27,1999 Inventors: Deschamps; Maurice (Brantford, CA)
Assignee: Sudrohrbau GmbH & Co. (DE)
Claw drum for shredding used carpet Appl. No.: 619497
Abstract Filed: June 7, 1996
A rotating claw drum for shredding discarded material
(such as used carpet) is created from flat circular plates
that are stacked tightly together on a driveshaft or drum, to USP#5,769,335 Shutov June 23,1998
create an impermeable drum face that prevents particulates
from entering and fouling the internal mechanisms. Each Method and apparatus for shear pulverization of polymer
flat plate is provided with at least one claw-holding slot in materials
its outer rim; 6 to 12 slots preferably should be provided in Abstract
each plate. Locking means (such as a locking bar that will A machine and method for pulverizing solid polymer
pass through aligned locking notches in the slots and materials into smaller particles uses a pulverizer head having
claws) will lock the claws in place while the drum is in a rotor with a conical contact surface and a stationary dish with
use. After the drum has been stopped, a locking bar can be a corresponding inverted conical contact surface. The dish and
removed, to release a damaged claw from its slot so it can rotor are axially aligned and spaced apart to define a gap of
be replaced, without having to disturb any other claws. fixed width between them. The material is conveyed into the
Each claw-holding slot can also provide a remover notch, gap at 0 PSI from a screw extruder. Rotation of the rotor
which will allow a remover bar with a wedged end to be generates shear forces within the gap that pulverizes the
hammered through a set of aligned remover notches, to material, with the pulverized particles leaving the pulverizer
dislodge the claws in a row, enabling removal of a head at the outer margin of the gap.
damaged claw even if the claw is firmly stuck in its slot.
This claw drum can be used in a three-cylinder shredding Inventors: Shutov; Fyodur (Cookeville, TN)
device that provides good results when used to shred Assignee: Tennessee Technological University
discarded carpet. (Cookeville, TN)
Appl. No.: 791200
Inventors: Bacon; Forrest C. (2175 Surrey Trail, Filed: January 31, 1997
Conyers, GA 30208); Holland; Wendell R. (Doniphan,
MO); Holland; Lial H. (Doniphan, MO)
Assignee: Bacon; Forrest C. (Conyers, GA) USP#5,535,945 Sferrazza, etal. July 16, 1996
Appl. No.: 834951
Filed: April 7, 1997 Carpet recycling process and system
Abstract
Process and system for reclaiming polymeric fibers (e.g.,
USP#5,829,690 Deschamps November 3, 1998 nylon) from post-consumer carpeting includes shredding the
post-consumer carpeting into strips, dismantling the carpet
Shredding apparatus with shearing action strips to form a mixture of the fibers to be reclaimed and the
Abstract backing material to be discarded, and then separating a
A shredding apparatus includes a rotor having rows of substantial portion of the fibers from the backing material.
tines projecting generally radially outwardly therefrom, Preferably, the carpet strips are dismantled by impacting the
and also a housing surrounding the rotor having rows of strips of carpeting against an anvil structure with hammer
tines projecting generally radially inwardly therefrom. The elements using, e.g., a hammermill. A secondary reclamation
rotor tines and stator tines have staggered positions, with system is provided whereby the separated backing material
one or more of the rotor tines passing between adjacent which may contain some fibers bound thereto is subjected to
stator tines. Material inserted into an inlet at the top of the secondary dismantling and separation operations. The fractions
housing is caught by the rotor tines and pulled past the first obtained from the primary and secondary separation operations
row of stator tines. That first row has fewer tines than does containing predominantly the polymeric fibers may thus be
each row of tines on the rotor, whereas the final row has combined so as to form a process discharge stream which can be
the same number of tines as each row on the rotor. The pelletized and/or baled as desired.
opposing faces of the tines on the rotor and stator are flat,
with a small clearance between passing tines, of typically
Inventors: Sferrazza; Randall A. (Arden, NC); Filed: May 30, 1995
Handermann; Alan C. (Asheville, NC); Atwell; Cecil H.
(Brevard, NC); Yamamoto; David K. (Paris, CA) See also: 5,497,949, March 12, 1996
Assignee: BASF Corportion (Mt. Olive, NJ);
Shred-Tech Limited (Cambridge, CA)
Appl. No.: 395506 RECYCLABLE CARPETS
Filed: February 27,1995
USP#6,051,300 Fink April 18, 2000
USP#5,516,050 Yamamoto, etal. May 14,1996 Carpet and techniques for making and recycling same
Abstract
Industrial Rotary Shredder The disclosure relates to a carpet, a process for manufacturing a
Abstract carpet and a method for recycling a carpet. The carpet of the
Rows of finger blocks are mounted to a frame body of a present disclosure includes a primary backing having tufts of
rotary industrial shredder laterally parallel to respective synthetic carpet fibers protruding from a top surface and,
ones of the counter-rotational pair of shafts so as to be optionally, a secondary backing, with an extruded sheet of an
moveable slightly, but meaningfully, during the shredding isotactic polyolefin polymer between and integrally fused to
operation while maintaining tight clearance relationships a bottom surface of the primary backing and an upper surface
between the fingers and cutters. In such a manner, waste of the secondary backing. The process for manufacturing the
material, particularly waste fibrous material such as waste recyclable carpet includes contacting the extruded sheet with the
carpet, may be stripped satisfactorily from the cutter and primary backing and, optionally, the secondary backing, at a
spacer discs carried by the shafts. Preferably, the finger temperature sufficiently high to integrally fuse the extruded
blocks include unitary cutter and spacer fingers extending sheet to the respective backing. The method for recycling
inwardly towards the shafts in respective opposed synthetic carpet of the type described includes manufacturing
relationship to cutter and spacer discs carried thereby. the carpet, collecting portions of the carpet, and melting the
collected portions to make a feedstock.
Inventors: Yamamoto; David K. (Paris, CA);
Viveen; Peter (Cambridge, CA) Inventors: Fink; Wilbert E. (Villanova, PA)
Assignee: BASF Corporation (Mt. Olive, NJ) Assignee: Polyloom Corporation of America (Dayton,
Appl. No.: 394348 TN)
Filed: February 27, 1995 Appl. No.: 039374
Filed: March 16,1998
USP#5,518,188 Sharer May 21, 1996 See also: 5,578,357 (11/26/96; 5,728,444 (3/17/98)
Method of recycling carpet forming components from
waste carpet USP#5,630,896 Corbin , et al. May 20, 1997
Abstract
A system for separating and packaging carpet forming Method of making recyclable tufted carpets
fibrous material and backing material from carpet pieces Abstract
for recycling. The system comprises a shredding apparatus A recyclable thermoplastic tufted fabric made of a partially
for separating carpet pieces into substantially even sized meltable primary backing and tufts tufted into the primary
small pieces of between two inches by two inches and four backing. The tufts are bonded to the backing by partially
inches by four inches. These pieces are passed to a melting the backing to bond the tufts and applying a
granulating apparatus which slices them into smaller secondary backing. Such a carpet can be recycled through
pieces of between one-quarter inch and one-half inch processes known to recycle polyester.
which causes the fibrous material and backing material to
begin to separate. A surge apparatus receives the partially Inventors: Corbin; James A. (Spartanburg, SC); Johnson;
separated materials and delivers them in an even manner to Robert D. (Charlotte, NC); Neely; William G. (Charlotte, NC);
an elutriator. The elutriator using an upper air delivery Slack; Ian S. (Charlotte, NC); Davies; Barrie L. (Weddington,
system for carrying off the fibrous material and a lower NC)
air delivery system for carrying off the backing material Assignee: Hoechst Celanese Corporation (Somerville,
delivers the separated materials to storage apparatus which NJ)
readies the separated materials for recycling. Appl. No.: 465804
Filed: June 6,1995
Inventors: Sharer; Paul C. (Greenville, SC)
Assignee: JPS Automotive Products Corp. See also: 5,532,035 July 2, 1996
(Greenville, SC)
Appl. No.: 452877
USP#5,538,776 Corbin , etal. July 23,1996 onto a back side (15) of a tufted primary backing (12), the
opposed front side (19) of which having tufts (17) projecting
Carpet containing a hot melt polyester layer therethrough, while it is transported by a conveyor (46) feeding
Abstract into a first needle loom (20). Fibers in the primary backing and
A thermoplastic tufted carpet made of a primary backing, in the carded web of fibers are then entangled by the first
tufts tufted into the primary backing, a secondary backing needle loom and by a second needle loom (36), whereby the
and a polyester hot melt adhesive disposed between the carded web of fibers meshes with the primary backing to form a
primary and secondary backing. Such a carpet can be carpet backing (58) of sufficient weight and integrity to replace
recycled through processes known to recycle polyester a conventional carpet underpad. The carpet backing is a blend
including glycolysis or methanolysis. of preferably homogenous fibers wherein the primary backing
and the carded web of fibers are indistinguishable from one
Inventors: Corbin; James A. (Spartanburg, SC); another. The tufted fabric may then be dyed and dried through a
Slack; Ian S. (Charlotte, NC) heat treatment, which, if the tufted fabric includes binder fibers,
Assignee: Hoechst Celanese Corporation causes a fusion bond between the fibers in the carpet backing
(Somerville, NY) and between the carpet backing and the tufts.
Appl. No.: 350756
Filed: December 7, 1994 Inventors: Smith; Charles W. (Rutherforton, NC);
Millwood; Jimmy E. (Spartanburg, SC)
Assignee: Spartan Mills (Spartanburg, SC)
USP#5,604,009 Long, etal. February 18, 1997 Appl. No.: 148218
Filed: November 3, 1993
Non-adhesive bonded tufted carpet and method for making
the same
Abstract USP#5,556,684 Forero September 17, 1996
A non-wet processed tufted carpet (10) includes a plurality
of face yarns (12), dyeable to the desired carpet color prior Manufacturing process for synthetic fiber carpets fixed by
to tufting, which are tufted into and through a primary fusion at regular intervals with crest or tufts, without using
backing fabric (14) and which are more securedly held in glues or using small amounts of glues, where threads do not
place by a secondary backing fabric (16) without the use of loosen and thus obtaining the carpets
an adhesive binder, the secondary backing fabric locking Abstract
the face yarn in place upon the application of heat to a A tufted carpet comprising a base and a plurality of tufts. Each
non-wet surface of the secondary backing fabric non- of the tufts have a looped portion on an underside of the base.
adjacent to the primary backing fabric. The tufted carpet The looped portions are fused to the underside of the base and to
(10) does not include any latex or binding adhesives which adjacent looped portions using heat and pressure, thereby
may cause odors or emit volatile organic chemicals. forming a homogeneous layer of the looped portions on the
Moreover, the face yarn (12), primary backing fabric (14), underside of the base.
and secondary backing fabric (16) are made of the same
type of polymeric material, thereby creating a carpet Inventors: Forero; Miguel (Carrera 7, No. 26-20, 21st
which is wholly recyclable. The carpet (10) also uses only Floor, Santafe de Bogota D.C., CO)
predyed fibers and yarns as the face yarn, thereby Appl. No.: 192170
eliminating the need to dye or wet process and dry the Filed: February 4, 1994
carpet during its manufacture. The present invention also
provides a non-wet processing method for the manufacture
of tufted carpet.
Inventors: Long; John M. (Ringgold, GA); Snyder;
Kent A. (Dalton, GA)
Assignee: Synthetic Industries, Inc.
(Chickamauga, GA)
Appl. No.: 348341
Filed: December 2, 1994
USP#5,481,786 Smith, etal. January9, 1996
Method of manufacturing a recyclable carpet
Abstract
A tufted fabric (1) devoid of external chemical binders
is formed by crosslapping a carded web of fibers (10)
Dr. Youjiang Wang
Associate Professor
School of Textile & Fiber Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332-0295
Phone 404-894-7551, FAX 404-894-9766, youjiang.wang@tfe.gatech.edu
URL: http://www.tfe.gatech.edu/faculty/wang/wang.html
Dr. Wang received his B.S degree in Textile Engineering from the China Textile University in 1982, and
M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, both in Mechanical Engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1985 and 1989, respectively. He joined Georgia Tech faculty in 1989 and currently is an
Associate Professor in the School of Textile and Fiber Engineering. Dr. Wang's research interests
include manufacturing processes of textiles and composites; mechanics and characterization of textile
materials; utilization of textile waste; and advanced construction materials. He has served as the
Principal Investigator of 20 research projects, and has over 100 publications. Dr. Wang is a registered
Professional Engineer in Georgia, a Fellow of ASME and the Textile Institute, and a member of ASTM
and the Fiber Society. He is also serving as an Associate Technical Editor of the Journal of
Manufacturing Science & Engineering.
Dr. Wang has received several teaching and research awards, including Junior Faculty Research
Enhancement Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (1991), National Textile Center
Director's Partnership Awards (1993, 1995), Class '69 Teaching Fellow at Georgia Tech (1995-1996),
and NTC TAC Award for "Best 1998 Proposal in Fabrication" (as team leader) (1998).
In the area of textile engineering, Dr. Wang has participated in several research projects in this area, and
currently, he is serving as the team leader of three projects. One of them deals with the analysis of
airflow in yarn processing and the design of a novel "Card-Spinning" unit to allow staple yarns to be
made in fewer steps than the current production sequence consisting of about 10 machines. The second
project deals with the dynamic response of a twisted structure subjected to cyclic loading as affected by
the frictional characteristics of fibers. This study could lead to a new method for characterizing the
frictional behavior of fibers and its relationship to the processibility of fibers in drafting and carding..
The third project focuses on developing a procedure for reducing the consumption of compressed air in
airjet weaving and spinning. Since compressed air generation is responsible for a significant portion of
the total energy consumption in a weaving and spinning plant, optimizing the compressed air generation,
distribution and usage systems could bring significant savings to the textile industry. Dr. Wang also
served as a co-PI of a project in which the project team developed a device to automate the creeling
process in carpet manufacturing. The device developed by the Georgia Tech team is a low cost
alternative that can fulfill the tasks of removing empty packages and replacing them with full packages.
A US patent is pending. Dr. Wang has also conducted an analysis on the design and performance of
loom beatup mechanisms. Using modern tools for computer-aided design and analysis, Dr. Wang's group
studied the performance of textile machines as related to the design parameters such as linkage geometry,
mass distribution in a machine part, and cam profiles. The models developed can indicate directions for
further performance improvement in modern textile machines.
Related docs
