The disclosure relates to oxygen scavenging compositions, methods of making the compositions, articles prepared from the compositions, and methods of making the articles. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

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) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 1.5 millibars; (E) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (F) 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) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 1.5 millibars; (E) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (F) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

In particular embodiments, a process for producing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer utilizes two vacuum pumps (140A, 140B) in combination with a single extruder (100). In various embodiments, the dual vacuum arrangement (e.g., at least two vacuum pumps (140A, 140B)) operably coupled to the single extruder (e.g., MRS extruder (100)) may be configured to remove one or more impurities from recycled polymer as the recycled polymer passes through the extruder.

In particular embodiments, a process for producing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer utilizes two vacuum pumps (140A, 140B) in combination with a single extruder (100). In various embodiments, the dual vacuum arrangement (e.g., at least two vacuum pumps (140A, 140B)) operably coupled to the single extruder (e.g., MRS extruder (100)) may be configured to remove one or more impurities from recycled polymer as the recycled polymer passes through the extruder.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) melting polymer (e.g., derived from post-consumer PET bottles) to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (2) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (3) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (4) allowing the multiple streams of polymer melt to fall into a receiving section of a melt processing unit; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) melting polymer (e.g., derived from post-consumer PET bottles) to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (2) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (3) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (4) allowing the multiple streams of polymer melt to fall into a receiving section of a melt processing unit; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

The invention relates to a method for producing a molding compound having improved properties. In particular, the invention relates to the production of a molding compound containing a polycarbonate and a reinforcing filler. According to the invention, said molding compound can be obtained by compounding a polycarbonate and the reinforcing filler by means of multi-shaft extruder having screw shafts arranged annularly with respect to one another. The reinforcing filler is preferably selected from one or more members of the group comprising the members titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), talc (Mg.sub.3Si.sub.4O.sub.10(OH).sub.2), dolomite (CaMg[CO.sub.3].sub.2). kaolinite (Al.sub.4[(OH).sub.8|Si.sub.4O.sub.10]) and wollastonitc (Ca.sub.3[Si.sub.3O.sub.9]), preferably from one or more members of the group comprising the members titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) and talc (Mg.sub.3Si.sub.4O.sub.10(OH).sub.2). According to the invention, tlie concentration of reinforcing filler is 3 to 50 wt % in relation to the total mass of tlie molding compound.

The invention relates to a method for producing a molding compound having improved properties. In particular, the invention relates to the production of a molding compound containing a polycarbonate and a reinforcing filler. According to the invention, said molding compound can be obtained by compounding a polycarbonate and the reinforcing filler by means of multi-shaft extruder having screw shafts arranged annularly with respect to one another. The reinforcing filler is preferably selected from one or more members of the group comprising the members titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), talc (Mg.sub.3Si.sub.4O.sub.10(OH).sub.2), dolomite (CaMg[CO.sub.3].sub.2). kaolinite (Al.sub.4[(OH).sub.8|Si.sub.4O.sub.10]) and wollastonitc (Ca.sub.3[Si.sub.3O.sub.9]), preferably from one or more members of the group comprising the members titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2) and talc (Mg.sub.3Si.sub.4O.sub.10(OH).sub.2). According to the invention, tlie concentration of reinforcing filler is 3 to 50 wt % in relation to the total mass of tlie molding compound.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) melting polymer (e.g., derived from post-consumer PET bottles) to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (2) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (3) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (4) allowing the multiple streams of polymer melt to fall into a receiving section of a melt processing unit; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.