Monsanto Company

Blyth, Randolph C.

Ucci, Pompelio A.

Randolph C Blyth

Pompelio A Ucci

George R McLellan

A process for dyeing carpets composed of nylon fibers coated with stain blocker whereby any loss of stain resistance occurring during processing of the fibers is recovered. The process comprises adding a small amount of stain blocker to the dye liquor used in dyeing the carpets.

Stain resistant nylon carpets

Process for dyeing stain resistant nylon carpets

Nylon carpet fibers are provided which resist staining by acid dye colorants at room temperature, yet are dyeable at elevated temperatures with acid dyes without losing their resistance to acid dye colorants at room temperature. The fibers are characterized by having a coating on the surface thereof comprising one or more selected compounds (stain blockers). Carpets comprising the fibers resist staining when exposed for long periods of time to spills containing acid dye colorants. By also including a fluorochemical in the coating, the carpets can resist such staining even after being subjected to heavy human trafficking.

Stain-resistant nylon fibers

Stain resistant nylon fibers

Carpets having a primary backing and a pile consisting essentially of polyamide fibers stitched into the primary backing are described. The fibers are characterized in being stain resistant and the backing is characterized in being impervious to water. The carpet is easy to maintain since its fibers are stain resistant and water can be used to clean the carpet without fear of the water penetrating the backing and being absorbed by the padding, a situation which leads to rotting of the carpet and wooden floors.

Easy-clean carpets which are stain resistant and water impervious

Nylon carpets are rendered resistant to staining normally caused by artificial colorants such as Food, Drug and Cosmetic Red Dye No. 40 by immersing the carpets in a boiling aqueous solution of a selected phenol-formaldehyde condensation product at a pH of 4.5 or less. A particularly useful condensation product is that obtained by the condensation of formaldehyde with a mixture of diphenolsulfone and phenolsulfonic acid.

Stain-resistant nylon carpets impregnated with condensation product of

The invention relates to an improvement in certain processes for continuously dyeing polyamide carpets whereby stain resistance is imparted to the carpets during the dyeing process. The improvement involves adding an alkali metal silicate (e.g. sodium meta silicate) and a sulfonated phenol-formaldehyde condensation product to the dye liquor used in the dyeing process. If either the silicate or condensation product is omitted from the liquor, the improvement is not achieved. The improvement provides a convenient and economical means for providing stain resistant polyamide carpets.

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Gulf Breeze, FL, United States of America

Randolph C Blyth