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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695313-B2
Application number	US-201414285174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2008
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

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 fiber comprising an extruded polymer composition comprising polyethylene terephthlate present as from about 25% to about 100% homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthlate, and wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 15 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 50 ppm, or a combination thereof.

2. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 50% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

3. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 75% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

4. A Bulked Continuous Filament extruded fiber comprising an extruded polymer composition comprising polyethylene terephthlate present as from about 25% to about 100% homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthlate, and wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 15 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 50 ppm, or a combination thereof.

5. The fiber of claim 4 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 50% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

6. The fiber of claim 4 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 75% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

7. A carpet comprising the fiber of claim 1 .

8. A fiber extruded from a polymer mixture comprising polyethylene terephthalate present as from about 50% to about 100% homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate, and wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 15 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 50 ppm, or a combination thereof.

9. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 75% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

10. The fiber of claim 8 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 90% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

11. A Bulked Continuous Filament fiber extruded from a polymer mixture comprising polyethylene terephthalate present as from about 50% to about 100% homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogeneously blended deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate, and wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 15 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 50 ppm, or a combination thereof.

12. The fiber of claim 11 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 75% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

13. The fiber of claim 11 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate is present as at least about 90% deposit post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight.

14. A carpet comprising the fiber of claim 8 .

Assignees

• Columbia Insurance Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• D01F6/92

  of polyesters · CPC title

• D10B2331/04

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

• C08J2367/02

  Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds; (C08J2367/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C08L2207/20

  Recycled plastic · CPC title

• D10B2503/04

  Floor or wall coverings; Carpets · CPC title