Method for making a polymeric based carpet

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.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A carpet composition, recyclable without a separation step, having from 50 to 100 percent polymeric material comprising: 
 a) a tufted primary backing having a primary backing and tufts of carpet fibers penetrating a bottom surface of the primary backing and protruding from a top surface of the primary backing;    b) a secondary backing material; and    c) an extruded adhesive material or a coextrusion of two or more extruded adhesive materials binding an upper surface of the secondary backing material to the bottom surface of the primary backing;    wherein the carpet fibers, primary backing material and secondary backing material are selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, acrylics, polyethylene, polyamide, nylon, wool, cotton, rayon and combinations thereof;    and wherein the adhesive material comprises an amorphous polyethylene copolymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene methyl acrylate, ethylene normal butyl acrylate, and blends of two or more polyethylene copolymers.    
     
     
         2 . The carpet composition of  claim 1  wherein the extruded adhesive material comprises a middle layer of polyethylene sandwiched between two outer layers selected from the group consisting of ethylene methyl acrylate and ethylene normal butyl acrylate.  
     
     
         3 . The carpet composition of  claim 2  wherein the middle polyethylene layer of the extruded adhesive material is from 10 to 90 weight percent of the extruded adhesive material and each of the two outer layers is from 5 to 45 weight percent of the extruded adhesive material.  
     
     
         4 . The carpet composition of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive material further comprises maleic anhydride.  
     
     
         5 . The carpet composition of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive material is a coextruded blend of ethylene methyl acrylate copolymers and polymers selected from the group consisting of low density polyethylenes, linear low density polyethylenes, high density polyethylenes, ultra low density polyethylene having a density less than 0.915 density, ethylene-propylene copolymers, elastomers, rubber, EPDM rubber, styrenic copolymers of butadiene, styrenic copolymers of acrylonitrile, styrenic copolymers of ethylene, metallocene based polyethylenes, polypropylene, polyester, ethylene acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene methyl acrylic acid copolymers, butyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, ionomers, polyamides, and maleic anhydrides.  
     
     
         6 . The carpet composition of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive material has a thickness of from 0.001 inches to 0.050 inches.  
     
     
         7 . The carpet composition of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive material further comprises additives selected from the group consisting of flame retardants, odor reduction additives, scent enhancing additives and ultra-violet light protection additives.  
     
     
         8 . The carpet composition of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive material further comprises fillers selected from the group consisting of talc, calcium carbonate and other inorganic fillers.  
     
     
         9 . A method of making a carpet, the carpet comprising a tufted primary backing with a primary backing and tufts of carpet fibers penetrating a bottom surface of the primary backing and protruding from a top surface of the primary backing; a secondary backing material; and an adhesive material binding an upper surface of the secondary backing material to the bottom surface of the tufted primary backing; the carpet fibers, primary backing material and secondary backing material being selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, acrylics, polyethylene, polyamide, nylon, wool, cotton, rayon and combinations thereof and the adhesive material comprising an amorphous polyethylene copolymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene methyl acrylate and ethylene normal butyl acrylate; the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) extruding a heated sheet of the adhesive material; and    b) continuously fusing together in a two roll nip the upper surface of the secondary backing and the bottom surface of the tufted primary backing with the heated sheet.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein the two roll nip comprises a hard roll and a soft roll.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein the soft roll has a diameter of from 4 to 20 inches and a hardness of from 5 to 100 shore D.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein the soft roll is comprised of rubber.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 10  wherein the hard roll is a cooled metal chill roll capable of maintaining a temperature below 120° F.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the two roll nip has pressure between 20 and 200 pounds per linear inch.  
     
     
         15 . A method of using at least one of ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer and ethylene normal butyl acrylate copolymer to manufacture a carpet, the carpet comprising a tufted primary backing with a primary backing and tufts of carpet fibers penetrating a bottom surface of the primary backing and protruding from a top surface of the primary backing; a secondary backing material; and an adhesive material binding an upper surface of the secondary backing material to the bottom surface of the tufted primary backing; the carpet fibers, primary backing material and secondary backing material being selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, acrylics, polyethylene, polyamide, nylon, wool, cotton, rayon and combinations thereof and the adhesive material comprising an amorphous polyethylene copolymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene methyl acrylate and ethylene normal butyl acrylate; the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) extruding a heated sheet of the adhesive material; and    b) continuously fusing together in a two roll nip the upper surface of the secondary backing and the bottom surface of the tufted primary backing with the heated sheet.    
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein the two roll nip comprises a hard roll and a soft roll.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the soft roll has a diameter of from 4 to 20 inches and a hardness of from 5 to 100 shore D.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the soft roll is comprised of rubber.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the hard roll is a cooled metal chill roll capable of maintaining a temperature below 120° F.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein the two roll nip has pressure between 20 and 200 pounds per linear inch.  
     
     
         21 . A method of recycling a carpet, the carpet comprising a tufted primary backing with a primary backing and tufts of carpet fibers penetrating a bottom surface of the primary backing and protruding from a top surface of the primary backing; a secondary backing material; and an extruded adhesive material or a coextruded blend of two or more extruded adhesive materials binding an upper surface of the secondary backing material to the bottom surface of the primary backing; the carpet fibers, primary backing material and secondary backing material being selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester, acrylics, polyethylene, polyamide, nylon, wool, cotton, rayon and combinations thereof and the adhesive material comprising an amorphous polyethylene copolymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene methyl acrylate and ethylene normal butyl acrylate; the method comprising the step of melting the carpet to obtain an extrudate feedstock.