Anti-blistering agent for tufted surface coverings

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a tufted surface covering includes incorporating tuft fiber into a backing to form the tufted surface covering, wherein the tufted surface covering includes an underside and a pile surface; coating the underside with a colloidal latex coating, wherein the colloidal latex coating has an exposed surface; wetting the exposed surface with an anti-blistering agent; and heating at least the underside to cure the colloidal latex coating into a solid latex coating.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a tufted surface covering, the method comprises: incorporating tuft fibers into a backing to form the tufted surface covering, wherein the tufted surface covering comprises an underside and a pile surface; coating the underside with a colloidal latex coating, wherein the colloidal latex coating has an exposed surface; wetting the exposed surface with an anti-blistering agent; and heating at least the underside to cure the colloidal latex coating into a solid latex coating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-blistering agent reduces blistering of the colloidal latex coating during heating to cure the colloidal latex coating into the solid latex coating.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-blistering agent comprises a latex coagulant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-blistering agent comprises an acid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the acid is any one of the following: vinegar, an alcohol, an organic acid, an inorganic acid, a sulfonic acid, a mineral acid, Formic acid, Acetic acid, Propionic acid, Butyric acid, Valeric acid, Caproic acid, Oxalic acid, Lactic acid, Citric acid, Benzoic acid, Uric acid, Taurine, p-Toluenesulfonic acid, Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, Aminomethylphosphonic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, hexanedionic acid, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the anti-blistering agent is a cationic anti-blistering agent.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the cationic anti-blistering agent is any one of the following: a salt, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, aluminum chloride, and aluminum sulphate.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the cationic anti-blistering agent is any one of the following: a water soluble cationic polymer, Polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride, and Polyethylenimine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the underside to cure the colloidal latex coating into the solid latex coating comprises: maintaining the underside within a first temperature range and/or maintaining the pile surface within a second temperature range, and wherein the first temperature range is larger than the second temperature range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first temperature range is any one of the following: between 140 C. and 150 C., between 130 C. and 160 C., and between 120 C. and 170 C., between 100 C. and 180 C.; and wherein the second temperature range is any one of the following between 50 C. and 70 C., between 40 C. and 80 C., between 30 C. and 90 C., and between 20 C. and 100 C.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the colloidal latex coating is applied to the underside by using a lick roll or by applying using a knife over roll method.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein coating the exposed surface with the anti-blistering agent comprises any one of the following: spraying the anti-blistering agent onto the exposed surface, atomizing the anti-blistering agent adjacent to the exposed surface, generating an aerosol adjacent to the exposed surface, and combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the colloidal latex coating further comprises a temperature sensitive latex coagulant.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the temperature sensitive latex coagulant comprises any one of the following: a silicone polyether and a polyether modified polysiloxane.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the colloidal latex coating comprises an emulsion of styrene-butadiene.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the tufted surface covering is any one of the following: artificial turf, landscaping turf, wall covering, floor covering, automotive carpet, a carpet, an indoor carpet, an outdoor carpet, and an athletic surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail, by way of example only, making reference to the drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 partially illustrates the manufacture of a tufted surface covering;

(3) FIG. 2 partially illustrates the manufacture of a tufted surface covering;

(4) FIG. 3 partially illustrates the manufacture of a tufted surface covering;

(5) FIG. 4 partially illustrates the manufacture of a tufted surface covering;

(6) FIG. 5 partially illustrates the manufacture of a tufted surface covering;

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a tufted surface covering; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a flow chart which illustrates a method of manufacturing a tufted surface covering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) Like numbered elements in these figures are either equivalent elements or perform the same function. Elements which have been discussed previously will not necessarily be discussed in later figures if the function is equivalent.

(10) FIG. 1-FIG. 6 are used to illustrate the manufacturing of a tufted surface covering. FIG. 1 shows an example of a backing 100. The backing 100 could be for example a woven textile, a textile formed from fibers connected together, or a material formed from one or more films.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a tufted surface covering 200. The backing 100 has had tuft fibers 201 that have been tufted into the backing 100. It can be seen that a small loop of tuft fiber 206 extends on an underside 202. The tufted surface covering 200 has an underside 202 which can be placed onto a surface. When the underside 202 is placed onto a surface the pile surface 204 which is formed by the tuft fibers 201 is exposed. For example, if the tufted surface covering 200 were artificial turf, the underside 202 would be placed onto the playing field and the pile surface 204 would form an artificial turf surface which could then be used as an athletic surface for playing such sports as football or soccer.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a further step in the manufacturing of the tufted surface covering. FIG. 3 is identical to FIG. 2 except a colloidal latex coating 300 has been spread on the underside 202. The colloidal latex coating 300 covers the underside of the backing 100 and also covers the loops 206 of tuft fiber. The colloidal latex coating has an exposed surface 302 that is exposed to the atmosphere.

(13) FIG. 4 illustrates a further step in the manufacturing of a tufted surface covering 200. As the colloidal latex begins to dry, there is a tendency for a film of solid latex to form on the exposed surface. An anti-blistering agents may by sprayed on the surface to induce coagulation in the region of the exposed surface to help provide a means for moisture within the colloidal latex to escape without causing blistering. In this Fig. are shown droplets 400 of anti-blistering agent. These droplets which may be sprayed or atomized above the underside 202 form a layer 402 of colloidal latex which is mixed with anti-blistering agent. The anti-blistering agent 400 wets the exposed surface 302 of the colloidal latex coating 300. The relative scale and size of the layers and other details shown in FIGS. 1-6 are not drawn to scale. For example thickness of layers 300 and 402 are not drawn to scale. The layer mixed with anti-blistering agent 402 may also be very small in comparison to the colloidal latex coating 300. When the anti-blistering agent 400 is deposited on the exposed surface 302, it will begin to mix with the colloidal latex coating 300. It actuality, there will not be a clear separation between the colloidal latex coating and a layer mixed with the anti-blistering agent 400.

(14) Next in FIG. 5 the drying of the colloidal latex coating 300 is performed. In this Fig. the underside 202 is exposed to a first temperature 500 and the pile surface 204 is exposed to a second temperature 502. If lower temperatures are used then the first temperature and the second temperature may be the same. However, if it is wished to accelerate the drying of the colloidal latex coating 300 then it may be beneficial to for example provide forced air of two different temperatures. The first temperature 500 is warmer and forces the drying of the colloidal latex coating 300. The second temperature 502 may be a lower temperature which is low enough to protect and prevent damage to the tuft fiber 201 during the drying process.

(15) FIG. 6 shows the tufted surface covering 200 after manufacturing is finished. The colloidal latex coating has dried into a solid latex coating 600. The solid latex coating 600 covers the underside 202 of the backing 100 and also covers the loop of tuft fibers 206. This causes the loop of the tuft fibers 206 to become attached to the backing 100. The arrow 602 represents the distance from the backing 100. This arrow starts at the surface of the underside 202 of the backing 100 and goes away from the tufted surface covering 200. Because the anti-blistering agent 400 was used to wet the surface of the colloidal latex coating 300 the properties of the solid latex coating 600 may vary as the distance in the direction 602 increase. For example, the pH of the solid latex coating 600 may decrease in the direction of the arrow 602. The quantities of anti-blistering agent or products derived from the anti-blistering agent may also be present in larger quantities as the direction in the arrow 602 increases.

(16) FIG. 7 shows a flowchart which illustrates a method of manufacturing a tufted surface covering. First in step 700 tuft fibers 104 are incorporated into a backing 100 to form a tufted surface covering 200. The results of this are illustrated in FIG. 2. The tufted surface covering 200 comprises an underside 202 and a pile surface 204. Next in step 702 the underside 202 is coated with a colloidal latex coating 300. The colloidal latex coating has an exposed surface 302. This is illustrated in FIG. 3. Next in step 704 the exposed surface 302 is wetted with an anti-blistering agent 400. The process of wetting the exposed surface with the anti-blistering agent 400 is illustrated in FIG. 4. Finally, in step 706, the underside 202 is heated 500 to cure the colloidal latex coating 300 into a solid latex coating 600. The heating process is shown in FIG. 5 and the finished tufted surface covering is illustrated in FIG. 6.

(17) Several experiments have been performed using citric acid as the anti-blistering agent. In the experiment where 20% and 40% citric acid solution was sprayed onto a colloidal latex compound prior to drying. In these tests the About 40-50 g m.sup.2 of was applied during these experiments. In the experiments the blistering, the drying speed, which is related to turbidity and relative humidity, and tuft lock were examined. The colloidal latex compound examined was a styrene-butadiene latex. The results of the blistering are given qualitatively in table number 1. In table 1 it can be seen that the amount of blistering with no citric acid is the largest. With 20% solution the amount of blistering was reduced. With the 40% solution of citric acid the blistering was further reduced.

(18) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Citric Acid Blistering ++ 20% solution + 40% solution +

(19) Table 2 shows the results of experiments when examining the turbidity. The results are shown as 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, and 6 minutes. As the colloidal latex coating becomes more dry the turbidity decreases. Measuring the turbidity is in effect one measure of determining how rapidly the colloidal latex coating is drying. It can be seen that as the concentration of the citric acid increases the turbidity also decreases. This indicates that the citric acid increases the drying rate of the colloidal latex coating. This may help increase the rate at which the tufted surface covering is manufactured thereby reducing the cost.

(20) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Citric Acid 2 3 4 5 6 +++ +++ + + 20% +++ +++ + 40% +++ +

(21) Table 3 shows the relative humidity as a function of time and the amount or concentration of citric acid sprayed on the surface. The results of table 3 shows that spraying citric acid on the colloidal latex coating did not seem to have an appreciable effect on the decrease of relative humidity. However, an additional test was performed by spraying more citric acid on the compound. This was about 200 g/m.sup.2 of the 40% solution was applied. The relative humidity after 14 minutes in this case was only 10%. From this additional experiment it can be seen that the application of an acidic anti-blistering agent does indeed have an effect on the relative humidity and therefore the drying rate. This may therefore be used to accelerate the manufacturing process or speed the manufacturing of the tufted surface covering.

(22) TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Time No anti-blistering agent 20% Citric Acid 40% Citric Acid 14 90% 80% 90% 16 80% 70% 80% 18 70% 70% 70% 20 30% 30% 30% 22 10% 10% 10%

(23) Table 4 illustrates the tuft lock/tuft bind of the finished tufted surface covering. This is performed for the same colloidal latex coating with a control group citric acid of 20% and citric acid of 40% as before. The dry tuft lock experiments is the amount of weight needed to pull a tuft of fibers from the tufted surface covering under dry conditions. The wet tuft lock is performed after the artificial turf has been wet for a period of 24 hours. From this table it can be seen that spraying citric acid on the colloidal latex coating before the curing of the colloidal latex coating into the solid latex coating does not have a detrimental effect on the tuft lock. This is in contrast to the current method of mixing an anti-blistering agent in with the colloidal latex coating. This indicates that spraying the anti-blistering agent on the surface may result in a superior tufted surface covering.

(24) TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Citric Acid Dry tuft lock Wet tuft lock (24 hr) 5.0 kg 5.2 kg 20% solution 5.1 kg 5.4 kg 40% solution 5.0 kg 4.9 kg.

(25) In conclusion, these experiments indicate that spraying citric acid on the colloidal latex coating may improve sensitivity towards blistering and turbidity. Air may not have an effect on the decrease of relative humidity unless a larger concentration of citric acid is applied. Spraying citric acid on the colloidal latex coating does not seem to have a detrimental effect on the tuft lock, it some cases it may change the appearance of the colloidal latex coating because a white brittle residue may be deposited on the surface of the colloidal latex coating. This however does not affect the end product as the underside of tufted surface covering is for example placed on the ground where it is not visible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(26) 100 backing 200 tufted surface covering 201 tuft fiber 202 underside 204 pile surface 206 loop of tuft fiber 300 colloidal latex coating 302 exposed surface 400 anti-blistering agent 402 layer of colloidal latex coating mixed with anti-blistering agent 500 first temperature 502 second temperature 600 solid latex coating 602 distance from underside 700 incorporating tuft fiber into an backing to form the tufted surface covering, wherein the tufted surface covering comprises an underside and a pile surface 702 coating the underside with a colloidal latex coating 704 wetting the exposed surface with an anti-blistering agent 706 heating at least the underside to cure the colloidal latex coating into a solid latex coating