Patent · US Expired

Process for recovering high value polymer from carpet selvage waste

US6059207A · kind A · utility

32Cited by
14References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 26, 1998
Grant dateMay 9, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 26, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02W30/66
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention provides an inexpensive process which can be placed in the carpet mill to add value to carpet selvage waste by segregating the various materials used to manufacture the selvage waste. The process for segregating at least one component of a carpet selvage waste comprises the steps of: PA1 a. providing carpet selvage waste from carpet manufacturing comprised of tufts comprised of face fiber material, primary backing, an adhesive and optionally a secondary backing, PA1 b. identifying face fiber type used in the tufts in the carpet selvage, PA1 c. removing the face fiber from the carpet selvage such that the face fiber is essentially free of the primary backing and residual adhesive and PA1 d. segregating the removed face fiber from the remainder of the carpet selvage in a mechanical system which segregates fiber by fiber type to obtain a relatively pure stream of the face fiber. All removed, segregated components may be recycled and/or reused.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.