US2014134386A1PendingUtilityA1

Carpet, carpet backing and methods

61
Assignee: SHAW IND GROUP INCPriority: Feb 28, 1997Filed: Jul 29, 2013Published: May 15, 2014
Est. expiryFeb 28, 2017(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Julie BrumbelowVon MoodyJames D. GoinsLichih R. PengDavid C. KelleyRobert R. TurleyWesley W. MullinaxJohn O. Bieser
D06N 7/0086D06N 7/0073D06N 7/0081D06N 2203/042D06N 2205/04D06N 7/0068D06N 7/0076D06N 2209/105D06N 2213/03B32B 5/022B32B 5/20B32B 5/245B32B 5/26B32B 7/12B32B 27/12B32B 27/20B32B 27/32B32B 2262/0253B32B 2262/101B32B 2264/0257B32B 2266/025B32B 2274/00B32B 2307/554B32B 2307/734B32B 2471/02D06N 2201/082D06N 2203/045D06N 2203/048D06N 2203/061D06N 2203/065D06N 2205/10D06N 2213/065D10B 2503/041D10B 2503/042Y10T428/23979Y10T428/23993
61
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Claims

Abstract

The present invention pertains to carpet and method of making it. In one aspect, the carpet includes (a) a primary backing which has a face and a back surface, (b) a plurality of fibers attached to the primary backing and extending from the face of the primary backing and exposed at the back surface of the primary backing, (c) an adhesive backing, (d) an optional secondary backing adjacent to the adhesive backing, and (e) at least one homogeneously branched linear ethylene polymer. The method includes extrusion coating at least one homogeneously branched linear ethylene polymer onto the back surface of a primary backing to provide an adhesive backing. The method can include additional steps or procedures, either separately or in various combinations. Additional steps and procedures include preheating the primary backing prior the extrusion step, multilayer adhesive backings, washing or scouring the primary backing prior the extrusion step, and utilizing adhesive polymeric additives, high heat content fillers, blowing agents and/or implosion agents. The constructions and methods described herein are particularly suited for making carpet tile.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 161 . (canceled) 
     
     
         162 . A carpet or carpet tile comprising:
 a) a greige good having an adhesive applied to a back side thereof; and   b) a foamed backing applied to the adhesive side of the greige good, wherein the foamed backing comprises a polymer composition having a polymer component comprising at least one homogenously branched ethylene polymer characterized as having a short chain branching distribution index (SCDBI) of greater than or equal to 50 percent.   
     
     
         163 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162  wherein the at least one homogeneously branched ethylene polymer is a substantially linear ethylene polymer characterized as having:
 a) a melt flow ratio, I 10 /I 2 >5.63; 
 b) a molecular weight distribution, M w /M n  as determined by gel permeation chromatography and defined by the equation:
   ( M   w   /M   n )<( I   10   /I   2 )−4.63; and
 
 
 c) a gas extrusion rheology such that the critical shear rate at onset of surface melt fracture for the substantially linear ethylene polymer is at least 50 percent greater than the critical shear rate at the onset of surface melt fracture for the linear ethylene polymer, wherein the linear ethylene polymer has a homogeneously branched short chain branching distribution and no long chain branching, and wherein the substantially linear ethylene polymer and the linear ethylene polymer are simultaneously ethylene homopolymers or interpolymers of ethylene and at least one C 3 -C 20  a-olefin and have the same I 2  and M w /M n  and wherein the respective critical shear rates for the substantially linear ethylene polymer and the linear ethylene polymer are measured at the same melt temperature using a gas extrusion rheometer. 
 
     
     
         164 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162 , wherein the at least one homogeneously branched ethylene polymer of the foamed backing is homogenously branched linear ethylene polymer. 
     
     
         165 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162 , wherein the homogeneously branched ethylene polymer of the foamed backing is an interpolymer of ethylene with at least one C 3 -C 20  a-olefin. 
     
     
         166 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162 , wherein the homogeneously branched ethylene polymer of the foamed backing is a copolymer of ethylene and one C 3 -C 20  a-olefin. 
     
     
         167 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 166 , wherein at least one C 3 -C 20  a-olefin is selected from the group consisting of propylene, 1-butene, 1-isobutylene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 1-heptene and 1-octene. 
     
     
         168 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162  wherein the at least one homogeneously branched ethylene polymer of the foamed backing is further characterized as having a single differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, melting peak between −30 and 150° C. 
     
     
         169 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162 , wherein the polymer composition of the foamed backing comprises a blowing agent. 
     
     
         170 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 169 , wherein the blowing agent comprises one or more of: azodicabonamide, toluene sulfonyl semicarbazide and oxy-bis(benzene sulfonyl)-hydrazide. 
     
     
         171 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 169 , wherein the blowing agent is present at from about 0.1 to about 1.0 weight percent of the polymer composition. 
     
     
         172 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162 , wherein the polymer composition of the foamed backing comprises a filler. 
     
     
         173 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 172 , wherein the filler is present in the polymer composition from between about 1 and about 75 weight percent of the polymer composition. 
     
     
         174 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 162 , wherein a reinforcing material is present between a primary backing of the greige good and the foamed backing. 
     
     
         175 . The carpet or carpet tile of  claim 174 , wherein the reinforcement material comprises one or more of non-woven or wet laid fiberglass scrims or woven or non-woven thermoplastic fabrics. 
     
     
         176 . The carpet or carpet tile product of  claim 162 , wherein the polymer composition of the foamed backing comprises a modified homogenously branched ethylene polymer, wherein the polymer is modified by the addition of at least one adhesive polymeric additive. 
     
     
         177 . The carpet or carpet tile product of  claim 176 , wherein the at least one adhesive polymeric additive is maleic anhydride in an amount to provide an adhesive polymeric additive concentration in the polymer composition at from about 0.01 to about 0.05 weight percent. 
     
     
         178 . The carpet or carpet tile product of  claim 162 , wherein a woven or a non-woven fabric is affixed to a back surface of the foamed backing. 
     
     
         179 . A method of making a carpet or carpet tile having a foamed backing comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a tufted carpet or a tufted carpet tile comprising a greige good;   b) applying a polymer composition to a back side of the tufted carpet or tufted carpet tile, wherein the polymer composition comprises:
 i) a polymer component comprising at least one homogenously branched ethylene polymer characterized as having a short chain branching distribution index (SCDBI) of greater than or equal to 50 percent; and 
 ii) a blowing agent; and 
   c) activating the blowing agent, thereby providing a foamed backing.   
     
     
         180 . The method of  claim 179 , wherein the at least one homogeneously branched ethylene polymer is a substantially linear ethylene polymer characterized as having:
 a) a melt flow ratio, I 10 /I 2 >5.63;   b) a molecular weight distribution, M w /M n  as determined by gel permeation chromatography and defined by the equation:
   ( M   w   /M   n )<( I   10   /I   2 )−4.63; and
 
   c) a gas extrusion rheology such that the critical shear rate at onset of surface melt fracture for the substantially linear ethylene polymer is at least 50 percent greater than the critical shear rate at the onset of surface melt fracture for the linear ethylene polymer, wherein the linear ethylene polymer has a homogeneously branched short chain branching distribution and no long chain branching, and wherein the substantially linear ethylene polymer and the linear ethylene polymer are simultaneously ethylene homopolymers or interpolymers of ethylene and at least one C 3 -C 20  a-olefin and have the same I 2  and M w /M n  and wherein the respective critical shear rates for the substantially linear ethylene polymer and the linear ethylene polymer are measured at the same melt temperature using a gas extrusion rheometer.   
     
     
         181 . The method of  claim 179 , wherein a reinforcing material is present between the greige good and the foamed backing. 
     
     
         182 . The method of  claim 181 , wherein the reinforcing material is applied to a surface of the polymer composition prior to activation of the blowing agent. 
     
     
         183 . The method of  claim 181 , wherein the reinforcement material comprises one or more of non-woven or wet laid fiberglass scrims or woven or non-woven thermoplastic fabrics. 
     
     
         184 . The method of  claim 179 , wherein the blowing agent comprises one or more of: azodicabonamide, toluene sulfonyl semicarbazide and oxy bis(benzene sulfonyl) hydrazide. 
     
     
         185 . The method of  claim 179 , wherein the blowing agent is present at from about 0.1 to about 1.0 weight percent of the polymer composition. 
     
     
         186 . The method of  claim 179 , wherein the polymer composition comprises a filler. 
     
     
         187 . The method of  claim 186 , wherein the filler is present in the polymer composition from between about 1 and about 75 weight percent of the polymer composition. 
     
     
         188 . The method of  claim 186 , wherein the polymer composition comprises a modified homogenously branched ethylene polymer, wherein the polymer is modified by the addition of at least one adhesive polymeric additive. 
     
     
         189 . The method of  claim 188 , wherein the at least one adhesive polymeric additive is maleic anhydride in an amount to provide an adhesive polymeric additive concentration in the polymer composition at from about 0.01 to about 0.05 weight percent. 
     
     
         190 . The method of  claim 186 , wherein a woven or a non-woven fabric is affixed to a back surface of the foamed backing.

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