Carpet Fiber Polymeric Blend

• US 20080157425A1
• Filed: 01/02/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation (Mohawk Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mohawk Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, James L., Jain, Dhanraj, Rodgers, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,809,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/176.1
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 1/07 for making fire- or flame-proof filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/92 of polyesters

Abstract

The invention provides carpet fibers prepared from a blend of polymeric components, said fiber exhibiting improved properties, such as improved spinnability and improved fire resistance. The carpet fibers particularly comprise a majority of polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) and a minority of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The invention further provides yarns and carpets prepared from the inventive fibers, said yarns and carpets likewise exhibiting improved properties. The invention also provides methods of improving various physical properties (such as fire resistance, spinnability, and elongation) of a polymeric composition.

Claims

1. A carpet fiber comprising a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer and about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate polymer, based on the overall weight of said fiber.

3. The carpet fiber of claim 1 comprising about 3% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer, based on the overall weight of said fiber.

4. The carpet fiber of claim 1 comprising about 5% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer, based on the overall weight of said fiber.

5. The carpet fiber of claim 1 comprising about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer, based on the overall weight of said fiber.

6. The carpet fiber of claim 1, wherein said polyethylene terephthalate polymer is a copolymer comprising a content of 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol comonomers.

7. A yarn comprising a carpet fiber according to claim 1.

8. A carpet comprising a carpet fiber according to claim 1.

9. The carpet fiber of claim 1, wherein said fiber exhibits improved ignition characteristics according to ASTM D-2859 in relation to a like carpet fiber consisting of a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer without a polyethylene terephthalate polymer.

2. (canceled)

10. A method for improving the ignition characteristic of a polytrimethylene terephthalate composition comprising preparing said composition to comprise a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer and about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate polymer, based on the overall weight of said composition, wherein said ignition characteristic is evaluated according to ASTM D-2859.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said composition is prepared to comprise about 3% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said composition is prepared to comprise about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of preparing said composition comprises extruding said polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer and said polyethylene terephthalate polymer to form bulk continuous filament.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said step of preparing said composition comprises preparing staple fiber.

15. A method for improving the spinnability of a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer composition comprising adding an amount of polyethylene terephthalate such that the polyethylene terephthalate comprises about 3% by weight to about 15% by weight based on the overall weight of said polymer composition, wherein spinnability is improved such that filament breakage during predetermined spinning conditions is reduced in comparison to filament breakage under the same conditions using a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer composition without the polyethylene terephthalate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said filament breakage is reduced by about 10% to about 70%.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said filament breakage is reduced by about 30% to about 70%.

18. A method for improving the elongation of a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer composition comprising adding an amount of polyethylene terephthalate such that the polyethylene terephthalate comprises about 3% by weight to about 15% by weight based on the overall weight of said polymer composition, wherein elongation is improved such that there is a measurable percentage increase in the percent elongation in comparison to the percent elongation of a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer composition without the polyethylene terephthalate.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said measurable percentage increase in elongation is in the range of about 5% to about 20%.

20. A method for increasing fire resistance of a carpet prepared using a polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber, said method comprising preparing the carpet using a fiber comprising a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer and about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate polymer, wherein said carpet fiber is prepared without the addition of any traditional flame retardants, and wherein said carpet exhibits increased fire resistance when tested according to ASTM D-2859 in relation to a like carpet prepared using a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer without a polyethylene terephthalate polymer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said carpet fiber comprises about 3% by weight to about 20% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said carpet fiber comprises about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate polymer.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said polyethylene terephthalate polymer is a copolymer comprising a content of monomeric units selected from the group consisting of diacids, diols, and combinations thereof.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said polyethylene terephthalate polymer is a copolymer comprising a content of polymeric or monomeric units selected from the group consisting of 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, butylene glycol, polystyrene, vinyltoluene, halostyrene, dihalostyrene, styrene-butadiene copolymers, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers, styrene-acrylonitrile-butadiene terpolymers, styrene-butadiene-styrene terpolymers, styrene-isoprene copolymers, aromatic dicarboxylic acids, aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, glutaric acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, and combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said polyethylene terephthalate polymer is a copolymer comprising a content of 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol comonomers.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said polyethylene terephthalate copolymer comprises up to about 30 mole % of 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol comonomers.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein said increased fire resistance comprises a pass rate of test ASTM D-2859 of greater than about 27%.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein said increased fire resistance comprises a pass rate of test ASTM D-2859 of at least about 46%.

29. A method for increasing fire resistance of a carpet prepared using a polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber, said method comprising preparing the carpet using a fiber comprising a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer and about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate copolymer including a content of 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol comonomers, wherein said carpet exhibits increased fire resistance when tested according to ASTM D-2859 in relation to a like carpet prepared using a polytrimethylene terephthalate polymer without the polyethylene terephthalate copolymer.

30. The carpet fiber of claim 29 comprising about 5% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, based on the overall weight of said fiber.

31. The carpet fiber of claim 29 comprising about 10% by weight to about 15% by weight of said polyethylene terephthalate copolymer, based on the overall weight of said fiber.

32. The carpet fiber of claim 29, wherein said polyethylene terephthalate copolymer comprises up to about 30 mole % of 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol comonomers

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said increased fire resistance comprises a pass rate of test ASTM D-2859 of greater than about 27%.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein said increased fire resistance comprises a pass rate of test ASTM D-2859 of at least about 46%.