Carpet tile primary backing systems and methods

Abstract

Tuftable nonwoven fabric compositions and methods for their preparation are provided. Fabric compositions may include a nonwoven web of continuous filaments, and an emulsion latex binder composition having an emulsion latex and a crosslinker. Exemplary techniques for constructing a nonwoven composition include forming continuous filaments of thermoplastic polymer, placing the filaments on a moving belt to form a nonwoven web, and treating the web with an emulsion latex binder composition having an emulsion latex and a crosslinker.

1 . A method for preparing a tuftable nonwoven fabric, the method comprising:
 loading a thermoplastic polymer into an extruder;   heating the thermoplastic polymer within the extruder;   extruding the heated thermoplastic polymer from the extruder;   receiving the extruded heated thermoplastic polymer into a spinneret;   forming a plurality of continuous filaments from the thermoplastic polymer with the spinneret;   stretching the plurality of continuous filaments;   receiving the plurality of stretched continuous filaments from the spinneret onto a moving belt to form a nonwoven web of continuous filaments;   coating individual filaments of the nonwoven web with an emulsion latex binder composition comprising an emulsion latex and a crosslinker;   drying and bonding the individual filaments of the nonwoven web; and   completing a crosslinking reaction in the emulsion latex binder composition that attaches the individual filaments of the nonwoven web via crosslinking by heating the dried bonded individual filaments of the nonwoven web and the emulsion latex binder composition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 0.05% and about 40% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 1% and about 25% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane emulsion latex, a styrene butadiene rubber emulsion latex, an acrylic emulsion latex, an ethylene-vinyl chloride emulsion latex, a polyvinylidenechloride emulsion latex, a modified polyvinylchloride emulsion latex, a polyvinyl alcohol emulsion latex, an ethylene vinyl acetate emulsion latex, a polyvinyl acetate emulsion latex, an ethylacrylate-methylmethacrylate acrylic copolymer emulsion latex, a non-carboxylated acrylic with acrylonitrile copolymer emulsion latex, a carboxylated butyacrylic copolymer emulsion latex, a urea-formaldehyde emulsion latex, a melamine-formaldehyde emulsion latex, a polyvinylchloride-acrylic emulsion latex, a methylmethacrylate styrene copolymer emulsion latex, a styrene-acrylic copolymer emulsion latex, a phenol formaldehyde emulsion latex, a vinyl-acrylic emulsion latex, and a polyacrylic acid emulsion latex. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the crosslinker comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a multifunctional aliphatic amine crosslinker, an organopolysiloxane crosslinker, a peroxide crosslinker, a urea-formaldehyde crosslinker, a melamine formaldehyde crosslinker, a phenol formaldehyde crosslinker, a multifunctional alcohol crosslinker, a multifunctional acid crosslinker, an acid derivative crosslinker, a multifunctional amine crosslinker, a multifunctional epoxy crosslinker, a multifunctional isocyanate crosslinker, and a multifunctional capped isocyanate crosslinker. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises a polyurethane emulsion latex and the crosslinker comprises a multifunctional aliphatic amine crosslinker that is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 0.05% and about 40% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises a polyurethane emulsion latex and the crosslinker comprises a multifunctional aliphatic amine crosslinker that is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 1% and about 5% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises a styrene butadiene rubber emulsion latex and the crosslinker comprises an organopolysiloxane crosslinker that is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 0.05% and about 40% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises a styrene butadiene rubber emulsion latex and the crosslinker comprises an organopolysiloxane crosslinker that is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 10% and about 25% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises an acrylic emulsion latex and the crosslinker comprises a multifunctional aliphatic amine crosslinker that is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 0.05% and about 10% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the emulsion latex comprises an acrylic emulsion latex and the crosslinker comprises a multifunctional aliphatic amine crosslinker that is present in the emulsion latex binder composition in an amount between about 1% and about 5% on a total weight basis of the binder composition weight. 
     
     
         12 . A tuftable nonwoven fabric prepared by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A tuftable nonwoven, comprising:
 a nonwoven web; and   an emulsion latex binder composition comprising an emulsion latex and a crosslinker.   
     
     
         14 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the nonwoven web comprises a plurality of continuous or discontinuous filaments. 
     
     
         15 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the emulsion latex binder composition is present in the nonwoven web in an amount between about 2% and about 30% on a total weight basis of the combined emulsion latex binder composition and nonwoven web. 
     
     
         16 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the emulsion latex binder composition is present in the nonwoven web in an amount between about 8% and about 25% on a total weight basis of the combined emulsion latex binder composition and nonwoven web. 
     
     
         17 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the emulsion latex binder is crosslinked by the crosslinker. 
     
     
         18 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the crosslinker is self-crosslinked and forms a physical blend with the emulsion latex binder. 
     
     
         19 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the crosslinker is self-crosslinked and crosslinked with the emulsion latex binder to form a three dimensional network. 
     
     
         20 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the nonwoven web exhibits a Quality Knee Force of greater than about 0.10 N and a Defect Peak Force of greater than about 0.35 N. 
     
     
         21 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the nonwoven web exhibits a Quality Knee Force of greater than about 0.10 N and a Defect Peak Force of greater than about 0.30 N. 
     
     
         22 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the nonwoven web exhibits a Quality Knee Force of greater than about 0.05 N and a Defect Peak Force of greater than about 0.25 N. 
     
     
         23 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein the nonwoven web exhibits a penetration resistance of less than about 65 N. 
     
     
         24 . The tuftable nonwoven fabric of  claim 13 , wherein a 10 cm×2.54 cm piece of the nonwoven web exhibits an elongation of less than about 15% under 16 lbf tension. 
     
     
         25 . A method for preparing a tuftable nonwoven fabric, the method comprising:
 forming a nonwoven web;   coating individual filaments of the nonwoven web with an emulsion latex binder comprising an emulsion latex and a crosslinker;   bonding the individual filaments of the nonwoven web; and   heating the bonded individual filaments of the nonwoven web;   wherein subsequent to heating the bonded individual filaments of the nonwoven web, the nonwoven web exhibits Quality Knee Force of greater than about 0.05 N, a Defect Peak Force of greater than about 0.25 N, and a penetration resistance of less than about 65 N, and wherein a 10 cm×2.54 cm piece of the nonwoven web exhibits an elongation of less than about 15% under 16 lbf tension.