A dimensionally stable universal floor covering includes a tufted textile having stitches and a reinforcement layer operatively connected to the stitches to provide dimensional stability for the entire floor covering. The reinforcement layer is made of fibers that are initially contained within a composition of adhesive and fibers. Mixing of the adhesive/fibers composition and/or injection of compressed air, assists in preparing the adhesive and fiber composition to be in the preferred condition and position prior to the forming of the reinforcement layer. Multiple sources of pressure, including vacuum, are applied in a controlled manner for moving the adhesive and fiber composition to form a reinforcement layer of fibers that is operatively connected to the stitches and/or to form a layer of fibers and adhesive that is contained within the stitches. The universal floor covering is selectively cut and transported in a roll for installation, and it can be conveniently recycled if necessary.

Methods for the recycling of carpet are disclosed that produce clean face fiber suitable for industrial use. The methods allow the recovery of face fiber material, for example a polyester or a polyamide, from carpets that includes a face fiber material and a backing material, and include the steps of heating the carpet to a temperature lower than the melting point of the face fiber material, but higher than the initial thermal decomposition temperature of the backing material, for a time and at a temperature sufficient to thermally decompose, pyrolyze, or oxidize at least a portion of the backing material, rendering the backing material friable, that is more friable than the untreated backing; and applying mechanical force to the carpet so as to liberate the friable backing material from the face fiber material.

The invention relates to an aqueous vinyl acetate-ethylene-copolymer dispersion for carpet coating compositions, which is obtained by means of radical-initiated emulsion polymerization, in an aqueous medium, of vinyl acetate and ethylene and optionally additional ethylenically unsaturated comonomers, characterized in that, for stabilization of the dispersion, 5 to 10 wt %, based on the total weight of the comonomers, of one or a plurality of partially saponified and low-molecular polyvinyl alcohols having a hydrolysis degree of 80 to 95 mol % and a Höppler viscosity, in 4% aqueous solution, of 1 to 5 mPas (method according to Höppler at 20° C., DIN 53015) are contained.

Carpet binder compositions comprising a mineral filler and a copolymer produced by emulsion polymerization and derived from monomers comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer, a 1,3-diene monomer, and an additional monomer selected from a copolymerizable surfactant, a (meth)acrylate monomer, a carboxylic acid monomer, or a combination thereof are disclosed. The carpet binder compositions can be formulated with a non-polymerizable surfactant such as an aryl phosphate surfactant. The compositions exhibit superior wet and dry delamination strengths as well as suitable froth viscosities. As a result, such carpet binder compositions can be made at higher filler loadings.

A carpet and a method of making a carpet are described. The carpet and the method of making the carpet does not involve the use of a latex precoat. This is useful for recycling purposes.

A tufted carpet including a tufted primary carpet backing, pile yarns tufted into the primary carpet backing, a secondary carpet backing adjoining to the primary carpet backing on the side of the primary carpet backing which exhibits backstitches and optionally a precoat and/or a polymer coat, wherein the secondary carpet backing including at least a reinforcement layer of fibers and the secondary carpet backing has an air permeability of at least 1000 l/m.sup.2.Math.s, measured according to ISO 9237:1995.

A primary carpet backing including a structure of at least three layers, wherein a first layer and a third layer including a nonwoven layer of fibers, and wherein a second layer which includes a reinforcement layer of fibers and is located between the first and the third layer, wherein the nonwoven layer of fibers of the first layer has an air permeability of at most 8000 L/m.sup.2.Math.s and the nonwoven layer of fibers of the third layer has an air permeability of at least 1000 L/m.sup.2.Math.s measured according to ISO 9237:1995, wherein the nonwoven layer of fibers of the first layer has a lower air permeability as the nonwoven layer of fibers of the third layer.

A moisture resistant carpet composition exhibiting exceptional delamination strength and methods of making same are disclosed.

A carpet tile includes a textile top member and a carrier mat that is coupled with the textile top member via a thermoplastic material. The textile top member includes carpet yarns and a backing that is coupled with the carpet yarns so that the backing structurally supports the carpet yarns. The carrier mat includes a polymeric material component, a reinforcement, and a binder that is uniformly distributed throughout the polymeric material component and reinforcement component. The polymeric material component includes polymer fibers that are randomly oriented and entangled together. The reinforcement is disposed within the polymeric material component so that the reinforcement is entirely covered and concealed by the entangled polymer fibers to prevent exposure to a user. The reinforcement mechanically reinforces and stabilizes the polymeric material component and carpet tile.

This invention relates to a washable multi-component magnetic floor mat with a hidden base component. The floor mat contains a textile component and a base component. The textile component and the base component are attached to one another by magnetic attraction. The magnetic attraction is provided by incorporation of magnetic particles in both the textile and base components. The textile component is designed to be soiled, washed, and re-used, thereby providing ideal end-use applications in areas such as building entryways. The present invention eliminates the need to wash the base component of the floor mat which results in environmental, cost and labor conservation. Alignment and deployment of the textile component with the base component in an efficient manner is also described herein.