Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) strips, configured or adapted for the residue-free and non-destructive removal by which by substantially expanding it in the plane of adhesion, are provided. The PSA strips comprise at least one adhesive compound layer consisting of a PSA compound, constituted by vinyl aromatic block copolymers and one or more adhesive resins, at least 75 wt.-% (relative to the total amount of resin) of a resin being selected that has a DACP (diacetone alcohol cloud point) of greater than 20 C., and a softening point (ring & ball) of greater than or equal to 70 C., and the PSA compound has being foamed.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) comprises: (1) splitting the PTT stream extruded from the primary extruder into a number of polymer streams, each of the plurality of polymer streams having an associated spinning machine; (2) adding a colorant to each split polymer stream; (3) adding PET to the extruded polymer stream downstream of the primary extruder; (4) using one or more static mixing assemblies for each split polymer stream to substantially uniformly mix each split polymer stream and its respective colorant and PET; and (5) spinning each polymer stream with its substantially uniformly mixed colorant and any additives into BCF using the respective spinning machine.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from a plurality of polymer flakes comprises: (1) providing an extruder; (2) melting and purifying the plurality of polymer flakes into a polymer stream using the extruder; (3) providing a static mixing assembly downstream of the extruder; (4) adding a first liquid colorant to a center of the polymer stream at a first location before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly; (5) adding a second liquid colorant to the polymer stream at a second location before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly; (6) using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the first and second liquid colorant to create a colored polymer stream; and (7) forming the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A system comprising: (1) a grinding unit configured to receive and grind recycled PET bottles into a group of polymer flakes comprising up to about ten percent colored polymer flakes and balance substantially clear polymer flakes; (2) a washing unit configured to wash the group of polymer flakes; and (3) an extruder configured to extrude material in a plurality of different extrusion streams. The extruder may be further configured to: (1) receive a concentrate-polymer mixture comprising a mixture of the polymer flakes and a color concentrate; (2) melt the concentrate-polymer mixture to produce a polymer melt; (3) reduce a pressure within the extruder; and (4) pass the polymer melt through the extruder so that the polymer melt is divided into the plurality of extrusion streams. The system may then filter the polymer melt through at least one filter and form the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

A treatment element for treating material by means of a screw machine comprises a conveying section and a melting section. The melting section is arranged downstream of the conveying section in a conveying direction and is connected in one piece with the conveying section. This reduces wear and increases the service life.

Process for producing a pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising expanded microballoons, wherein the constituents for forming the adhesive are mixed in a first mixing assembly, the mixed adhesive is transferred into a second mixing assembly into which, at the same time, unexpanded microballoons are fed, the microballoons are expanded in the second mixing assembly or on exit from the second mixing assembly, the adhesive mixture with the expanded microballoons is shaped to a layer in a shaping assembly in which expanded microballoons which have broken through the surface are pressed into the layer surface and the layer of adhesive mixture together with the expanded microballoons are optionally applied to a weblike backing material.

A substantially dry product is produced by a process comprising the steps of: removing moisture from a raw material having a first moisture content to produce the substantially dry final product having a final moisture content; (b) advancing the raw material longitudinally along and between at least a first screw and a second screw comprising at least a compression zone and a dehydrating zone which are arranged successively within the first and second screws; and (c) entrapping and removing a predetermined percentage of moisture as the raw material moves through the compression zone and dehydrating zone.

Methods of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprise: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) adding one or more color concentrates to the flakes; (E) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder (400) while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion (420) of the MRS extruder (400) below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter (450) having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) adding one or more color concentrates to the flakes; (E) passing the group of flakes through an extrusion system while maintaining the pressure within the extrusion system below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) adding one or more color concentrates to the flakes; (E) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 25 millibars; (F) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (G) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.