Bayer Antwerp, N.v.

Bayer Materialscience, LLC

Bayer Corporation

Bayer Polymers LLC

Jeffrey L Robbins

Ulrich B Holeschovsky

Harry Stefanou

David Gibala

Robert D Duffy

Leah Langsdorf

Robert R Pollock

Gary L Allen

Leah J Langsdorf

Ulrich B Holechovsky

Barry V Evangelist

The present invention relates to an improved process for the production of artificial turf, and the improved artificial turf. In accordance with this process, fibers are treated via corona discharge, tufted into a primary backing to form a greige good, and a precoat is applied to the back surface the greige good. Suitable fibers are polyolefins, and suitable precoats are reactive polyurethane mixtures. The fibers may be treated by corona discharge either before they are tufted into the primary backing to form the greige good or after the are tufted into the primary backing. Artifical turfs of the present invention comprise a greige good having fibers tufted into a primary backing, with the fibers being treated by corona discharge either before or after being tufted into the primary backing, and a precoat which is attached by its face surface to the back surface of the greige good.

Tuft bind of urethane backed artificial turf

The present invention relates to an improved doctor blade and bedplate apparatus wherein there is a recess in the bedplate from some position upstream of the doctor blade to some position downstream of the doctor blade. This recess or gap in the area of the bedplate under the doctor blade allows one to form an even or uniform coating on the back of a web of material. This is particularly helpful in forming uniform coatings on the back of a greige good which has face fibers of varying lengths. The present invention also relates to an improved process for preparing a relatively uniform coating on the back of a web of material.

Gapped bedplate for uniform carpet back coating

Improvements in tuft bind and/or elongation of tufted carpet may be achieved by selecting, as components of a tuft bind adhesive, one or more of: i) a polyol component comprising a low or ultra-low unsaturation polyoxypropylene polyol optionally containing up to 30 weight percent oxyethylene moieties, and ii) a chain extender component comprising 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol.

Polyurethane carpet backings with improved tuft bind

Tufted carpeting can be manufactured employing polyurethane adhesives and cured face up without dripping, when one or more drip-reducing process steps of adding a non-Newtonian thickener to the adhesive or forming a viscosified or cured film on the outer surface of the adhesive are practiced prior to entry of the greige good into the curing oven.

Face-up coating of carpet backs with polyurethane

Laminated carpeting consisting of a secondary backing adhered to a greige good of yarn tufted into a primary backing are prepared from polyurethane adhesives by single puddle processes which allow for lowered use of polyurethane while producing carpets exhibiting excellent delamination strength. Preferably, a reactive polyurethane system is employed as a primary adhesive, and the secondary backing is skip-coated with a minor amount of a non-advancing skip coat.

Urethane adhesive-laminated carpeting

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Phoenixville, PA, United States of America

Jeffrey L Robbins