RECYCLING OF POLYPROPYLENE CARPET WASTE INTO POLYESTER CARPET BACKCOATING

IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CROSS-LAPPED, NEEDLEPUNCHED, POLYPROPYLENE, PILE-SURFACED CARPETING, THERE IS UNAVOIDABLEEDGE TRIM WASTE DUE TO THE INHERENT NATURE OF THE CROSS-LAPPING AND NEEDLEPUNCHING PROCESSES. THIS WASTE IN ITS PRESENT FORM IS USELESS TO ANYONE AND IS PRESENTLY BEINGDISPOSED OF BY DUMPING INTO A LANDFILL SITE BY A DISPOSAL COMPANY. TYPICAL SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THIS WASTE REMOVED AND LOSE MONTHLY AT LEAST $12,500 IN FIBER ANDBACKCOATING AS A RESULT OF THIS WASTE DISPOSAL. THE DISPOSAL MATERIAL DECREASES AVAILABLE LANDFILL CAPACITY BY ABOUT 10,000 POUNDS PER MONTH (THE AMOUNT OF WASTE GENERATED). IN THIS PROJECT, HOYLE ASSOCIATES PROPOSE TO FIND THE MEANS TO CONVERT THIS WASTE INTO GRANULAR OR FIBRILLAR MATERIAL WHICH COULD BE USED AS A HEAT-REACTIVE BACKCOATING BINDER FOR POLYESTER NEEDLEPUNCHED CARPETING ALSO MANUFACTURED BY A TYPICAL SMALL BUSINESS IN THIS MARKET. THE WASTE CARPETING, WHEN CONVERTED INTO GRANULAR OR FIBRILLAR FORM, COULD BE UTILIZED IN BACKCOATING AS FOLLOWS:(1) APPLYING IT TO THE BACK OF POLYESTER CARPETING, HEATING TO MELT THE POLYPROPYLENE, THEN SMOOTHING AND RESOLIDIFYING THE MOLTEN MATERIAL AS IT LEAVES THE HEAT SOURCE, AND (2) MELTING IT AND APPLYING TO THE BACK OF POLYESTER CARPETING WHILE IN A MOLTEN STATE.