Polyurethane Foam Floor Covering with Post-Consumer Carpet Fibers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Discarded carpet fibers, despite recycling efforts, are not suitable for new carpet production due to damage and contamination, and existing methods for creating floor cushioning products are inefficient and unsatisfactory in terms of cost and performance.
Innovation Solution
A process involving forming a web layer with post-consumer fibers and applying a polyurethane foam formulation containing polyisocyanate and polyol, which is then cured to create a foamed polyurethane floor covering product with uniformly distributed fibers, offering fast curing and adaptable manufacturing for various cushion products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If discarded carpet fibers are mechanically shredded and recovered, then fiber values can be recovered for reuse, but the recovered fibers become heavily damaged and contaminated, making them unsuitable for new carpet production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the application parameter from carpet facing to underlayment cushion, where damaged and contaminated fibers are acceptable. This parameter change in product application allows the use of recovered post-consumer fibers that would otherwise be discarded, resolving the contradiction between fiber recovery and fiber quality requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If underlayment is made from inexpensive scrap foam and recovered fibers, then production cost is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and process efficiency become problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical bonding methods with chemical bonding using polyurethane foam formulation. The foam expands and cures to bind fibers together, eliminating complex mechanical compression and bonding equipment while maintaining manufacturing efficiency and product performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of polyurethane foam from liquid formulation to expanded solid foam during curing. This phase transition provides automatic expansion, filling, and bonding in a single step, greatly simplifying the manufacturing process and improving productivity while keeping costs low.
3Strength
If traditional molding processes are used for polyurethane foam with fibers, then fiber-reinforced foam can be produced, but the process is too slow and requires expensive large molds, making it unsuitable for carpet underlayment production
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process by applying polyurethane foam formulation directly to fiber web layers in a continuous or semi-continuous process, rather than using traditional large-mold batch processing. This segmentation allows for faster production cycles and eliminates the need for expensive large molds while maintaining fiber reinforcement through direct foam impregnation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process results in a product with uniform properties, low production costs, and meets performance criteria such as tear strength and cushioning retention, making it suitable for large-scale industrial production and diverse applications.
Implementation Method 1
a polyurethane foam formulation including at least one polyisocyanate and at least one polyol is applied to the web layer and the polyurethane foam formulation is cured
Implementation Method 2
a polyurethane foam formulation including at least one polyisocyanate and at least one polyol is applied to the web layer and the polyurethane foam formulation is cured
Data Source
AI summary
Polyurethane floor covering products are formed from a web layer containing at least 30% by weight fibers. A cooled polyurethane foam formulation which includes at least one polyisocyanate, water and at least one polyol having an equivalent weight of at least 500 is applied to the web layer. The wetted web layer is then compressed to mechanically wet out the fibers, gauged and heated to cure the foam formulation.