Recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions, fibers and articles produced therefrom, and methods for producing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12065563-B2
Application number	US-202117175628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2008
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention relates to recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions, fibers and articles produced therefrom, and methods for producing same. In a further aspect, the invention relates to homogenized post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate. In a further aspect, the invention relates to extruded polymer compositions, polymer mixtures, fibers, and/or Bulked Continuous Filament fibers comprising post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate. In a further aspect, the invention relates to processes for preparing recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions. 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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polymer mixture consisting essentially of a polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition comprises:
a) post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate; and
b) virgin polyethylene terephthalate,
wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition comprises at least one impurity resulting from use in a consumer product prior to recovery for recycling, wherein the at least one impurity is not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is homogeneous.

2. The polymer mixture of claim 1 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

3. The polymer mixture of claim 1 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

4. The polymer mixture of claim 1 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate and deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

5. The polymer mixture of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition further comprises post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

6. The polymer mixture of claim 1 , wherein one impurity of the at least one impurity is present in an amount of less than about 5,000 ppm.

7. The polymer mixture of claim 1 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate is homogenized post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

8. A fiber consisting essentially of a polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition comprises:
a) post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate; and
b) virgin polyethylene terephthalate,
wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition comprises at least one impurity resulting from use in a consumer product prior to recovery for recycling,
wherein the at least one impurity is not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate,
wherein the fiber is homogeneous.

9. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

10. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

11. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate and deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

12. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition further comprises post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

13. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein one impurity of the at least one impurity is present in an amount of less than about 5,000 ppm.

14. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate is homogenized post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

Assignees

• Columbia Insurance Co

Inventors

• Booth Hubert J
• Bradley Christopher Eric
• Johnson Daniel Ray
• Keen Jr James Henry

Classifications

• Y02W30/62

  Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling · CPC title

• D10B2503/04

  Floor or wall coverings; Carpets · CPC title

• D10B2331/04

  polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET] · CPC title

• D06N7/0065

  characterised by the pile · CPC title

• D01F6/84

  from copolyesters · CPC title