Method for producing textile products, products obtainable therefrom and method to reclaim the products

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a laminated textile product comprising providing a first intermediate product comprising a primary backing having a front surface and a back surface, and yarns stitched into the primary backing, the yarns extending from the front surface of the backing material, feeding the intermediate product along a body having a heated surface, the back surface being pressed against the said heated surface, to at least partly melt the yarns present in the intermediate product to bond the yarns to the backing, wherein the part of the back surface that is pressed against the heated surface has a relative speed with respect to the heated surface, so as to provide a second intermediate product having a calendered back surface, providing a dimensionally stable carrier sheet or secondary backing, and connecting the second intermediate product to the carrier sheet by providing a hot melt adhesive between the calendered surface and the sheet, and pressing the sheet to the second intermediate product to form the textile product.

1 . A method for manufacturing a textile product, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a first intermediate product comprising a backing having a front surface and a back surface, and yarns stitched into the backing, the yarns extending from the front surface of the backing material,   (b) feeding the intermediate product along a body having a heated surface, the back surface being pressed against the said heated surface, to at least partly melt the yarns present in the intermediate product to bond the yarns to the backing,   wherein the part of the back surface that is pressed against the heated surface has a relative speed with respect to the heated surface, so as to provide a second intermediate product having a calendered back surface,   (c) providing a dimensionally stable carrier sheet, characterised in that the method further comprises   (d) connecting the second intermediate product to the carrier sheet by providing a hot melt adhesive between the calendered surface and the sheet, and pressing the sheet to the second intermediate product to form the textile product.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , in which the hot melt adhesive comprises a Polymer P in an amount of at least 50% by weight of the hot melt adhesive composition and/or
 where the yarn, the intermediate product and the carrier sheet each independently comprise at least one Polymer R; where   the Polymer P and/or any of Polymer(s) R is independently obtained and/or obtainable by polycondensation, a ring opening polymerisation of cyclic monomers and/or a step-growth polymerisation method.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , where any of the Polymer R for each of the yarn, the intermediate product and the carrier sheet comprises the same material. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , in which the Polymer P and/or any of the Polymer(s) R comprises a crystalline polymer and has a melting enthalpy (ΔHm) of at least 5 J/g. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2 , in which the Polymer P and/or any of the Polymer(s) R comprises an amorphous polymer. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 2 , in which the Polymer P and/or any of the Polymer(s) R one or more polymer and/or copolymer selected from the group consisting of:
 (co)polyamide(s); (co)poly(ester-amide(s); mixtures thereof and/or copolymers thereof.   
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6 , in which the Polymer P and/or any of the Polymer(s) R is a polyester and/or a polyamide. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , in which the Polymer P and/or any of the Polymer(s) R is a polyester. 
     
     
         9 . A textile product obtained and/or obtainable from a method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A textile product as claimed in  claim 9   which is selected from the group consisting of:   (a) a polyester carpet tile;   (b) a laminated loom carpet comprising a nylon layer as the carrier sheet and a polyester layer as the first intermediate product and/or second intermediate product; and/or;   (c) a laminated loom carpet comprising at least one, preferably at least two polyester layers as the carrier sheet and/or as the first intermediate product and/or the second intermediate product.   
     
     
         11 . Use of a hot melt adhesive to produce a textile product according to  claim 9 . 
     
     
         12 . A method to recycle a textile product comprising taking a used textile product according to  claim 9 , heating the product until the backing de-connects from the sheet, separating the backing from the sheet, and reusing the backing and the sheet. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the method comprises heating the hot melt adhesive to allow the sheet to de-connect from the backing, collecting the sheet and the backing in two separate streams, and further heating the separate streams above their melting temperature to obtain recycled polymer and re-using the obtained polymer. 
     
     
         14 . A method to recycle a textile product comprising taking a used textile product according to  claim 9 , melting the product and re-use the obtained polymer. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the melting is effected in one melting step and the method is effected without a separation step between the melting and the re-using. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the polymer of the textile product is a polycondensate. 
     
     
         17 . A textile product comprising unmodified or chemically modified and/or mechanically modified recycled polycondensate obtained in the method of  claim 16 . 
     
     
         18 . A reclaimed textile product obtained and/or obtainable by a reclaim method as claimed in  claim 12 . 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a textile product according to  claim 1 , in which the yarns of the intermediate product also additionally extend from the back surface. 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a textile product according to  claim 2  in which the hot melt adhesive is provided as a layer having a thickness of less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.5 mm. 
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing a textile product according to  claim 2 , in which the Polymer P and/or any of the Polymer R has a glass transition temperature below 100° C. 
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing a textile product according to  claim 2 , in which the Polymer P and/or Polymer R comprises a mixture of a crystalline and an amorphous polymer. 
     
     
         23 . A method of manufacturing a textile product according to  claim 2 , in which the Polymer P has a melt viscosity at 150° C. of <500 Pa·s. 
     
     
         24 . A textile product as claimed in  claim 9  which is a carpet, carpet tile, rug and/or mat. 
     
     
         25 . A textile product according to  claim 9 , in which the backing, the yarn and the hot melt adhesive and optionally the carrier sheet comprise the same type of polymer. 
     
     
         26 . Use of a textile product as claimed in  claim 9  as a floor covering. 
     
     
         27 . A method of applying a textile product to a floor comprising the steps of
 applying to a floor a textile product as claimed in  claim 9  and fastening the textile product to the floor.   
     
     
         28 . A floor covered with a textile product as claimed in  claim 9  and/or obtained and/or obtainable by a method as claimed in  claim 27 . 
     
     
         29 . A device for manufacturing a textile product as claimed in  claim 9  having as a characterising feature a head to apply hot melt adhesive.