SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING BULKED CONTINUOUS FILAMENT FROM COLORED RECYLED PET
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament, the method comprising:
- (A) providing a multi-screw extruder that comprises;
(i) a first satellite screw extruder, the first satellite screw extruder comprising a first satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the first satellite screw;
(ii) a second satellite screw extruder, the second satellite screw extruder comprising a second satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the second satellite screw; and
(iii) a pressure regulation system that is adapted to maintain a pressure within the first and second satellite screw extruders between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars;
(B) using the pressure regulation system to reduce a pressure within the first and second satellite screw extruders to between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars;
(C) providing a plurality of polymer flakes, the plurality of polymer flakes comprising between about six percent and about ten percent colored recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes and balance substantially clear recycled PET flakes;
(D) providing one or more color concentrates;
(E) adding the one or more color concentrates to the plurality of polymer flakes such that the resulting mixture comprises between about zero percent and about three percent of the one or more color concentrates by weight;
(F) while maintaining the pressure within the first and second satellite screw extruders between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars, passing the plurality of polymer flakes and the one or more color concentrates through the multi-screw extruder to form a polymer melt so that;
(1) a first portion of the polymer melt passes through the first satellite screw extruder, and (2) a second portion of the polymer melt passes through the second satellite screw extruder; and
(G) after the step of passing the polymer melt through the multi-screw extruder, forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament.
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Accused Products
Abstract
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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament, the method comprising:
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(A) providing a multi-screw extruder that comprises; (i) a first satellite screw extruder, the first satellite screw extruder comprising a first satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the first satellite screw; (ii) a second satellite screw extruder, the second satellite screw extruder comprising a second satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the second satellite screw; and (iii) a pressure regulation system that is adapted to maintain a pressure within the first and second satellite screw extruders between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (B) using the pressure regulation system to reduce a pressure within the first and second satellite screw extruders to between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars; (C) providing a plurality of polymer flakes, the plurality of polymer flakes comprising between about six percent and about ten percent colored recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes and balance substantially clear recycled PET flakes; (D) providing one or more color concentrates; (E) adding the one or more color concentrates to the plurality of polymer flakes such that the resulting mixture comprises between about zero percent and about three percent of the one or more color concentrates by weight; (F) while maintaining the pressure within the first and second satellite screw extruders between about 0 millibars and about 5 millibars, passing the plurality of polymer flakes and the one or more color concentrates through the multi-screw extruder to form a polymer melt so that;
(1) a first portion of the polymer melt passes through the first satellite screw extruder, and (2) a second portion of the polymer melt passes through the second satellite screw extruder; and(G) after the step of passing the polymer melt through the multi-screw extruder, forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of manufacturing carpet filament from clear and colored recycled PET bottles comprising the steps of:
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(A) providing a plurality of recycled PET bottles; (B) grinding the plurality of recycled PET bottles into a group of polymer flakes, the group of polymer flakes comprising up to about ten percent colored polymer flakes and balance substantially clear polymer flakes; (C) washing the group of polymer flakes; (D) providing a color concentrate; (E) mixing the color concentrate with the group of polymer flakes to form a concentrate-polymer mixture comprising up to about three percent color concentrate by weight and balance the group of polymer flakes; (F) melting the concentrate-polymer mixture to produce a polymer melt; (G) providing an extruder that extrudes material in a plurality of different extrusion streams; (H) reducing a pressure within the extruder to between about 0 millibars and about 12 millibars; (I) while maintaining the pressure within the extruder between about 0 millibars and about 12 millibars, passing the polymer melt through the extruder so that the polymer melt is divided into a plurality of extrusion streams, each having a pressure between about 0 millibars and about 12 millibars; (J) after passing the polymer melt through the extruder, filtering the polymer melt through at least one filter; and (K) after passing the polymer melt through the filter, forming the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament, the method comprising:
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(A) providing a multi-screw extruder that comprises; (i) a first satellite screw extruder, the first satellite screw extruder comprising a first satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the first satellite screw; (ii) a second satellite screw extruder, the second satellite screw extruder comprising a second satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the second satellite screw; (iii) a third satellite screw extruder, the third satellite screw extruder comprising a third satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the third satellite screw; (iv) a fourth satellite screw extruder, the fourth satellite screw extruder comprising a fourth satellite screw that is mounted to rotate about a central axis of the fourth satellite screw; and (v) a pressure regulation system that is adapted to maintain a pressure within the first, second, third, and fourth satellite screw extruders between about 1 millibar and about 18 millibars; (B) using the pressure regulation system to reduce a pressure within the first, second, third, and fourth satellite screw extruders to between about 0 millibars and about 18 millibars; (C) while maintaining the pressure within the first, second, third, and fourth satellite screw extruders between about 1 millibar and about 18 millibars, passing a polymer melt through the multi-screw extruder so that;
(1) a first portion of the melt passes through the first satellite screw extruder, (2) a second portion of the melt passes through the second satellite screw extruder, (3) a third portion of the melt passes through the third satellite screw extruder, and (4) a fourth portion of the melt passes through the fourth satellite screw extruder, wherein;the polymer melt comprises; between about seven percent and about nine percent colored recycled PET by weight; between about two percent and about three percent color concentrate by weight; and balance recycled substantially clear PET; and (D) after the step of passing the polymer melt through the multi-screw extruder, forming the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification