Methods are provided for processing a latex stream that include adding an isocyanate to a foam head that converts the latex stream to a foamed latex stream. A curing agent also may be added to the foam head. Also provided are methods of making a carpet that include disposing a foamed latex stream that includes an isocyanate onto a carpet fabric, or a support material to form a carpet backing. Carpets made by the methods herein also are provided.

In particular embodiments, a process for producing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer utilizes two vacuum pumps in combination with a single extruder. In various embodiments, the dual vacuum arrangement (e.g., at least two vacuum pumps) operably coupled to the single extruder (e.g., MRS extruder) may be configured remove one or more impurities from recycled polymer as the recycled polymer passes through the extruder such that the process: (1) is more effective than earlier processes in removing contaminates and water from the recycled polymer; (2) allows for an increased throughput through a single extruder, which may result in a doubling of a number of thread lines produced from a single extruder; (3) results in a desired intrinsic viscosity for the extruded recycled polymer at the increased throughput; and/or (4) reduces an amount of downtime of a particular production line as a result of cleaning the two vacuum pumps.

The present invention relates to a method for producing floor covering (including carpet and carpet tiles) with recycled content, comprising the steps of gaining CaCO.sub.3 from ground or surface water during a softening process by adding a grain to the water, grafting the CaCO.sub.3 to the grain, adding the CaCO.sub.3 to the (fluid) backing material for a carpet or carpet tile (precoat or heavy coating layer), using the thus obtained backing material in a carpet or carpet tile manufacturing process, wherein the grain comprises essentially CaCO.sub.3.

Methods are provided for processing a latex stream that include adding an isocyanate to a foam head that converts the latex stream to a foamed latex stream. A curing agent also may be added to the foam head. Also provided are methods of making a carpet that include disposing a foamed latex stream that includes an isocyanate onto a carpet fabric, or a support material to form a carpet backing. Carpets made by the methods herein also are provided.

An advanced manufacturing plant and process to efficiently deconstruct and recycle post-consumer carpet primarily in an aqueous environment. The water-based technology substantially eliminates airborne particulate emissions into the workplace and the environment. It also significantly increases the quality and quantity of the resources recovered from the carpet. In addition to recycling residential carpet, it also reclaims and recycles material from commercial broadloom carpet.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of colors of bulked continuous carpet filament from a single multi-screw extruder which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) passing PET through an extruder that melts the PET and purifies the resulting PET polymer melt; (B) splitting the extruded polymer melt into a plurality of melt streams and adding a colorant to each of the plurality of melt streams; (C) using one or more static mixers (e.g., thirty six static mixers) to substantially uniformly mix (e.g., homogeneously mix) each of the plurality of melt streams with its respective added colorant; and (D) feed each of the uniformly mixed and colored plurality of melt streams into a respective spinning machines that turns the polymer into filament for use in manufacturing carpet, rugs, and other products.

The present invention pertains to carpet and methods of making and recycling carpet. In one aspect, the carpet includes: a primary backing which has a face and a back surface; 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; an adhesive composition backing; and an optional secondary backing adjacent to the adhesive backing. The method of making carpet includes extrusion coating the adhesive composition onto the back surface of a primary backing to form the adhesive composition backing. The method of recycling carpet can recover one or more polymeric carpet components.

A thermal insulation batt is created from recycled carpet fibers and fire resistant cotton shoddy bonded by staples of bi-component fiber having a polyester core and low melting polymeric sheath. The low melting polymeric sheath melts at a temperature well below the melting or degradation temperature of any of the carpet fibers from the recycled carpets. Since the sheath has a small thickness, the amount of melt created is small and bonding occurs only between the bi-component staple fiber and adjacent carpet fiber or fire resistant cotton shoddy without melt overflow. The rigidized thermal insulation batt can be used in a building between studs and may be used in an automobile door for sound proofing. This product is particularly well suited for use as acoustic and thermal insulation in buildings as non-load bearing partitions in interior offices of commercial buildings. This bonded low density composite fibrous structure has fire retarding constituents incorporated within the batt to retard propagation of building fire. These stated uses are non-limiting; and other uses are contemplated, including automobile interior structures.

Clean, safe and efficient methods, systems, and processes for utilizing thermolysis methods to processes to convert various carpet, rug, polymeric materials and other waste sources, such as solid waste, tires, manure, auto shredder residue, glass and carbon fiber composite materials, municipal solid wastes, medical wastes, waste wood and the like into a Clean Fuel Gas and Char source are disclosed. The invention processes the carpet, rug, polymeric material to effectively shred and/or grind the waste source, such as post-consumer carpet remnants and waste, and then process using thermolysis methods to destroy and/or separate halogen and other dangerous components to provide a Clean Fuel Gas and Char source. Additional waste sources, such as solid waste, tires, manure, auto shredder residue, glass and carbon fiber composite materials, municipal solid wastes, medical wastes, waste wood and the like, are suitable for the processing of the invention disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to the reclaiming of carpet waste material. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for reclaiming carpet components such as yarn, tufting primary, binder, and secondary backing from post-industrial and post-consumer carpet waste in a substantially continuous flow process.