Carpets with improved fuzz-resistance

Abstract

Tufted carpets bonded with thermoplastic binders and having improved resistance to fuzz formation due to removal of pile yarn filaments from tuft bundles comprise one or more backings, face yarn that forms a pile on one side and stitches on an opposite side, a thermoplastic binder that binds stitches and the backing or backings, and an organic polymer that bonds filaments of the stitches. Processes for making carpets comprise applying to a stitched side of a tufted backing a liquid stitch bind composition comprising an organic polymer component, removing a liquid component of the composition to bond filaments of the stitches and bonding stitches and one or more backings with a thermoplastic binder that is melted or applied as a melt in contact with the stitched side and the backing or backings and solidified.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 162,463 filed Oct. 29, 1999.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This intention relates to carpets and their manufacture and more particularly carpets and carpet manufacture involving thermoplastic binders. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Tufted carpets generally comprise a backing, face yarn and a binder. The face yarn penetrates the backing such that a plurality of tufts projects from one side of the backing and a plurality of face yarn stitches is disposed on an opposite side of the backing. The binder is present on the stitched side, anchoring tufts in and to the backing. Many carpets also include an additional backing for added stability. In those carpets, face yarn typically penetrates a primary backing, as described above, and an additional backing, such as a relatively open weave secondary backing fabric, is secured to the stitched side with the binder. Alternative structures in which face yarn pen...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a process for making tufted carpets with improved bonding and resistance to fuzz and damage. This is achieved by applying a stitch bind composition to the stitches before solidifying the thermoplastic binder. The stitch bind composition is a liquid that can be removed by heating and an organic polymer component that can bond the filaments of the stitches. The process also includes steps of heating and cooling the thermoplastic binder to solidify it without damaging the tufted backing. The invention also provides an improvement to processes for making carpets by applying a stitch bind composition to the stitches before the binder solidifies. Overall, the invention provides a solution for manufacturing tufted carpets with better bonding and resistance to fuzz and damage.

Problems solved by technology

Although carboxylated styrene-butadiene copolymers are most commonly used in filled latex binders due to cost and performance, the cured binders are deficient due to their uptake of water and tendency to lose considerable strength when wet.

In finished carpets with such binders, contact with water, for example from spills and splashes, can lead to marked losses of tuft lock or tuft bind such that face yarn tufts are easily pulled out of the carpets.

Thus, while face yarns and backings most commonly used in carpets are composed primarily of thermoplastic resins capable of being reused in melt-forming operations, cured latex binders typically contain levels of crosslinked polymer solids that can make such reprocessing impractical due to burning, smoking and impairment of flow of melted resins.

A difficulty with carpets with thermoplastic binders, however, is their tendency to fuzz during use.

For many types of carpets, fuzzing is encountered less frequently and severely in carpets prepared with conventional aqueous latex binders.

With thermoplastic binders, in contrast, dispersibility, flow properties and affinity to backings and face yarns of melted thermoplastic resins are less conducive to effective application and bonding.

In some cases, uniform application of thermoplastic binders is hindered by their physical form.

For example, thermoplastic binders in the form of loose fiber are difficult to apply consistently and uniformly over stitched backing surfaces; melting and cooling of the resin of the fibers can produce irregular gaps and thick and thin areas of binder, leaving entire stitches or groups of stitches unbonded or only superficially bonded.

However, even the more uniformly applied thermoplastic binders suffer due to high viscosities and poor flow of their melted resins as compared to the liquid latex binders.

Surface tensions of the melted thermoplastic resins can also lessen affinities to face yarns and backings and are not as easily adjusted as those of conventional aqueous latexes.

High flow rate resins, special resin compositions, application of pressure to intermediate carpet structures to promote flow and improve distribution of melted resin, special application techniques and other measures can provide improvement but not to the degree desired and usually not without equipment modifications, added process complexity and increased cost.

Whatever the cause or causes, fuzzing in carpets with thermoplastic binders remains a problem and an obstacle to more widespread realization of the benefits of such carpets.

Images