Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Thomas R Clark, Iii

Joseph A Cofer, Jr

Alan R Mochel

A system comprising: (1) a grinding unit configured to receive and grind recycled PET bottles into a group of polymer flakes comprising up to about ten percent colored polymer flakes and balance substantially clear polymer flakes; (2) a washing unit configured to wash the group of polymer flakes; and (3) an extruder configured to extrude material in a plurality of different extrusion streams. The extruder may be further configured to: (1) receive a concentrate-polymer mixture comprising a mixture of the polymer flakes and a color concentrate; (2) melt the concentrate-polymer mixture to produce a polymer melt; (3) reduce a pressure within the extruder; and (4) pass the polymer melt through the extruder so that the polymer melt is divided into the plurality of extrusion streams. The system may then filter the polymer melt through at least one filter and form the polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Systems and methods for manufacturing bulked continuous filament from colored recycled PET

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from polymer, where the systems are configured for: (1) passing polymer flakes through a crystalliers; (2) melting the polymer to create a first single stream of polymer melt; (3) separating the first single stream of polymer melt into multiple streams of polymer melt; (4) exposing the multiple streams of polymer melt to a pressure of between about 0 millibars and about 25 millibars in a chamber; (5) recombining the multiple streams of polymer melt into a second single stream of polymer melt; and (6) providing the second single stream of polymer melt to one or more spinning machines that are configured to form the second single stream of polymer melt into bulked continuous carpet filament.

Systems for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer. In various embodiments, the method includes: (1) reducing recycled polymer material into polymer flakes; (2) cleansing the polymer flakes; (3) melting the flakes into a polymer melt; (4) removing water and contaminants from the polymer melt by dividing the polymer melt into a plurality of polymer streams and exposing those streams to pressures below 5 millibars; (5) recombining the streams; and (6) using the resulting purified polymer to produce bulked continuous carpet filament.

Methods for manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament

A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws and an outlet; (2) providing a vacuum pump in communication with the MRS section; (3) providing a spinning machine comprising an inlet, wherein the inlet is directly coupled to the outlet of the MRS extruder; (4) heating a plurality of PET-containing flakes in the MRS extruder to form a PET-containing melt; (5) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across the plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (6) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (7) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (8) extruding the PET-containing melt through the outlet of the MRS extruder into the inlet of the spinning machine.

Methods for manufacturing bulked continuous filament

A method of recycling a PET-containing material comprises: (1) providing a polymer crystallizer comprising at least one heating element, and at least one blower; (2) providing an MRS extruder having an MRS section comprising a plurality of satellite screws; (3) providing a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the MRS section; (4) grinding and washing the PET-containing material; (5) heating the PET-containing material in the crystallizer to at least partially dry the PET-containing material; (6) shearing the PET-containing material in the MRS extruder to produce a PET-containing melt; (7) increasing a surface area of the PET-containing melt by distributing the PET-containing melt across a plurality of satellite screws in the MRS extruder; (8) drawing off vapors from the PET-containing melt by reducing the pressure in the MRS section with the vacuum pump; (9) collating the PET-containing melt in the MRS extruder; and (10) extruding a recycled PET-containing material.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament which, in various embodiments, comprises: (A) grinding recycled PET bottles into a group of flakes; (B) washing the flakes; (C) identifying and removing impurities, including impure flakes, from the group of flakes; (D) passing the group of flakes through an MRS extruder while maintaining the pressure within the MRS portion of the MRS extruder below about 1.5 millibars; (E) passing the resulting polymer melt through at least one filter having a micron rating of less than about 50 microns; and (F) forming the recycled polymer into bulked continuous carpet filament that consists essentially of recycled PET.

Systems and methods for manufacturing bulked continuous filament

A polyamide yarn is disclosed which is at least about 85% by weight poly(.epsilon.-caproamide) and which has a relative viscosity of greater than 50, a tenacity of at least about 9.3 g/d, a dry heat shrinkage at 160.degree. C. of less than about 3 percent, a modulus of at least about 20 g/d, a toughness of at least about 240 g/d. %, a crystal perfection index of greater than about 82, and a long period spacing of greater than about 100 .ANG.. The process for making the yarn includes drawing of a feed yarn while heating to at least about 185.degree. C. in at least a final draw stage to a draw tension of at least 4.8 g/d, subsequently decreasing the tension while heating to at least about 185.degree. C. to produce a length decrease of between about 13.5 and about 30%, and cooling and packaging the yarn.

Process for making low shrinkage, high tenacity poly(epsilon-caproamide)

A yarn comprised of a polyamide which is at least about 85% poly(hexamethylene adipamide) or poly(.epsilon.-caproamide) is disclosed which has a relative viscosity of greater than about 50, a tenacity of greater than about 11.0 g/d, a dry heat shrinkage at 160.degree. C. of not more than about 6.5 percent, a boil-off shrinkage of less than about 7%, a modulus of greater than about 35 g/d, a birefringence of greater than about 0.060, a differential birefringence D: .DELTA..sub.0.90-0.00, of greater than 0, and a sonic modulus of greater than about 90 g/d. The process for making the yarn includes drawing of a feed yarn while heating to at least about 185.degree. C. in at least a final draw stage to a draw tension of at least 3.8 g/d, subsequently decreasing the tension while heating to at least about 185.degree. C. to produce a length decrease of between about 2 and about 13.5, and cooling and packaging the yarn.

High tenacity, high modulus polyamide yarn and process for making same

A polyamide yarn is disclosed which is at least about 85% by weight poly(.epsilon.-caproamide) and which has a relative viscosity of greater than 50, a tenacity of at least about 9.3 g/d, a dry heat shrinkage at 160.degree. C. of less than about 3 percent, a modulus of at least about 20 g/d, a toughness of at least about 240 g/d.%, a crystal perfection index of greater than about 82, and a long period spacing of greater than about 100 .ANG.. The process for making the yarn includes drawing of a feed yarn while heating to at least about 185.degree. C. in at least a final draw stage to a draw tension of at least 4.8 g/d, subsequently decreasing the tension while heating to at least about 185.degree. C. to produce a length decrease of between about 13.5 and about 30%, and cooling and packaging the yarn.

Low shrinkage, high tenacity poly(epsilon-caproamide) yarn and process

A polyamide yarn is disclosed which is at least 85% by weight poly(hexamethylene adipamide) and which has a relative viscosity of greater than 50, a tenacity of at least about 9.5 g/d, a modulus of at least about 30 g/d, a shrinkage at 160.degree. C. of less than about 2 percent, a crystal perfection index of greater than about 83, and a long period spacing of greater than about 105 .ANG.. The process for making the yarn includes drawing of a feed yarn while heating to at least about 190.degree. C. in at least a final draw stage to a draw tension of at least 3.8 g/d, subsequently decreasing the tension while heating to at least about 190.degree. C. to produce a length decrease of between about 13.5 and about 30%, and cooling and packaging the yarn.

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Hixson, TN, United States of America

Thomas R Clark, Iii