Washable Carpet Products With Coating Layers Formed From Vinyl Ester/Ethylene Copolymer Dispersions

Abstract

Disclosed are carpet products comprising at least one flexible substrate and at least one coating layer associated with the at least one flexible substrate. The coating layer is formed from an aqueous composition comprising: A) an emulsifier-stabilized vinyl acetate/ethylene (VAE) emulsion copolymer dispersion wherein the VAE copolymer therein comprises co-monomers which include at least vinyl acetate copolymerized with ethylene and optionally also with other additional functional and/or non-functional co-monomers; and B) at least one particulate filler material selected from particulate inorganic compounds and particulate plastic material. The vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion has a particle size, d w , ranging from about 50 to about 500 nm as determined by Laser Aerosol Spectroscopy. Such carpet products maintain their integrity and appearance after multiple machine washing operations. Some of these carpet products which have backing coated with certain of the coating compositions used herein also exhibit desirable non-slip properties.

1 . A carpet product comprising at least one flexible substrate and at least one coating or adhesive layer associated with said at least one flexible substrate, said coating or adhesive layer being formed from an aqueous composition comprising:
 A) an emulsifier-stabilized vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer therein comprises co-monomers which include a vinyl acetate co-monomer copolymerized with ethylene and wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion has a particle size, d w , ranging from 50 to 500 nm as determined by Laser Aerosol Spectroscopy; and   B) at least one particulate filler material selected from particulate inorganic compounds and particulate plastic material.   
     
     
         2 . A carpet product comprising at least one flexible substrate and at least one coating or adhesive layer associated with said at least one flexible substrate, said coating or adhesive layer being formed from an aqueous composition comprising:
 A) an emulsifier-stabilized vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer therein comprises co-monomers which include a vinyl acetate co-monomer copolymerized with ethylene; and   B) at least one particulate filler material selected from particulate inorganic compounds and particulate plastic material;   wherein the carpet product exhibits no more than 4.5% weight loss after 20 wash cycles in the Washability Test described herein.   
     
     
         3 . The carpet product according to  claim 2  wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion has a particle size, dw, ranging from 50 to 500 nm as determined by Laser Aerosol Spectroscopy. 
     
     
         4 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer comprises one or more additional different non-functional main co-monomer(s) based on vinyl esters of C1-C18 mono-carboxylic acids or C1-C18 esters of ethylenically unsaturated mono-carboxylic acids or C1-C18 diesters of ethylenically unsaturated di-carboxylic acids, 
     
     
         5 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion is substantially free of cross-linkable co-monomer moieties which generate formaldehyde upon formation of said coating or adhesive layer. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion comprises from 8 wt % to 40 wt %, based on total main co-monomers therein, of ethylene. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion has a glass transition temperature, Tg, of from −25° C. to +15° C. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein the vinyl ester copolymer of the copolymer dispersion comprises up to 5 wt %, based on total main monomers therein, of additional functional co-monomers copolymerizable with said main co-monomers, said additional functional co-monomers being selected from ethylenically unsaturated acids, or the salts thereof, ethylenically unsaturated monomers having at least one amide, epoxy, hydroxyl, trialkoxysilane or carbonyl group, and combinations of two or more co-monomers from any of said additional functional co-monomer types. 
     
     
         13 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein the vinyl ester/ethylene copolymer of the copolymer dispersion comprises an additional ethylenically unsaturated cross-linking co-monomer having an epoxy group. 
     
     
         14 . The carpet product according to  claim 13  wherein the cross-linking co-monomer in the vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer of the copolymer dispersion is selected from glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, allyl glycidyl ether, vinyl glycidyl ether, and combinations of said cross-linking co-monomers. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein said copolymer dispersion is stabilized with at least 0.5 wt %, based on total main co-monomers in said copolymer, of one or more emulsifiers and from 0 wt % to 3 wt %, based on total main co-monomers in said copolymer, of a protective colloid. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein the particulate filler in the aqueous composition comprises from 10 wt % to 70 wt % of the dispersion and is selected from particulate calcium carbonate and particulate plastic material. 
     
     
         28 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  which is substantially free of polyvinyl chloride and bitumen. 
     
     
         29 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  which is substantially free of 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH), 4-vinylcyclohexene (4-VCH), styrene, and ethylbenzene. 
     
     
         30 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  which comprises at least one binder coating and at least one adhesive layer, each of which is different in composition from the other. 
     
     
         31 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible substrate therein is selected from nonwovens, wovens, unidirectional weaves, knitted fabrics and pile fabrics. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The carpet product according to  claim 1  which is in the form of a woven non-slip carpet or a tufted non-slip carpet, said carpet types being coated with the vinyl ester/ethylene copolymer-containing dispersion on the far side of the tread side. 
     
     
         38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A carpet product comprising at least one flexible substrate and at least one coating or adhesive layer associated with said at least one flexible substrate, said coating or adhesive layer being formed from an aqueous composition comprising:
 A) an emulsifier-stabilized copolymer dispersion comprising a vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer; and   B) at least one particulate filler material selected from particulate calcium carbonate and particulate plastic material;   wherein
 i) said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymem dispersion has an ethylene content of from 8 wt % to 40 wt % based on total main co-monomers therein and a glass transition temperature, Tg, of from −20° C. to +5° C. 
 ii) said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion comprises no cross-linkable moieties which generate formaldehyde upon formation of said coating or adhesive layer; 
 iii) said vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion has a particle size, dw, ranging from 120 to 350 nm as determined by Laser Aerosol Spectroscopy; 
 iv) said copolymer dispersion is emulsifier-stabilized with a combination of at least 0.5 wt %, based on total monomers in said copolymer, of one or more anionic and/or nonionic emulsifiers and up to 3 wt %, based on total co-monomers in said copolymer, of a polyvinyl alcohol protective colloid;
 v) said copolymer dispersion has a Brookfield viscosity ranging from 200 mPa·s to 4000 mPa·s; 
 
 vi) said carpet product is substantially free of polyvinyl chloride and bitumen; and 
 vii) said carpet product exhibits no more than 4.5% weight loss after 20 wash cycles in the Washability Test described herein. 
   
     
     
         40 . A carpet product comprising a textile fabric structure treated with a vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion, the copolymer in said dispersion comprising from 70 to 80 pphm of vinyl acetate and from 20 to 30 pphm of ethylene, wherein the copolymer has a glass transition temperature between 0° C. and −10° C., possesses a mean particle diameter dw of 150 to 200 nm and is stabilized with at least 1 wt % of emulsifiers and 0 wt % to 2 wt % of a protective colloid formed from polyvinyl alcohol or cellulose ether. 
     
     
         41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . The carpet product according to  claim 40  wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer dispersion has a viscosity of from 400 to 1,600 mPa·s, measured with a Brookfield viscometer at 25° C. 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The carpet product according to  claim 40  wherein vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion comprises further co-monomers copolymerizable with vinyl acetate and ethylene, which further co-monomers are selected from the group consisting of ethylenically unsaturated acids, or the salts thereof, ethylenically unsaturated monomers having at least one amide, epoxy, hydroxyl, N-methylol, trialkoxysilane or carbonyl group, and combinations of two or several monomers from any of said further monomer types. 
     
     
         45 . The carpet product according to  claim 40  wherein the vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymer in the copolymer dispersion comprises further co-monomers copolymerizable with vinyl acetate and ethylene, which further co-monomers are selected from the group consisting of vinyl esters which are not vinyl acetate, alpha-olefins which are not ethylene, vinyl aromatics, esters of ethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acids, and diesters of ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids. 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . The carpet product according to  claim 40  wherein the copolymer dispersion has a solids content of from 45 to 55 wt %. 
     
     
         48 . The carpet product according to  claim 40  wherein the textile fabric structure comprises at least one fabric selected from the group consisting of nonwovens, wovens, unidirectional weaves, knitted fabrics and pile fabrics. 
     
     
         49 . The carpet product according to  claim 40  wherein textile fabric structure comprises a pile fabric which is coated with a coating composition based on the copolymer dispersion with the coating being on the far side of the tread side.