Process For Dyeing Carpets With Unused Yarns

Abstract

Overdyed carpets, as well as other textiles, and methods of producing the same are provided. Overdyeing can be performed on predyed and/or undyed fibers to produce an overdyed carpet with a predominant hue throughout. Predyed fibers can differ in hue, saturation, or value, or any combination thereof from each other and/or from the overdye. The overdyed carpet can include at least one auxiliary chemical. A single auxiliary chemical or a combination of auxiliary chemicals can provide stain resistance, color fastness, and/or bleach resistance, or any combination thereof. These carpets and methods provide aesthetic, financial, and environmental benefits by allowing for utilization of waste fiber, yarn, carpet, and other textiles that would otherwise require resale at substantial discount or landfill disposal.

1 . A method of preparing an overdyed carpet having a predominant hue throughout the overdyed carpet, the method comprising:
 contacting at least one carpet comprising a plurality of fibers with a dye bath comprising at least one dye, the dye bath having a pH from about 1.5 to about 6.5;   heating the dye bath to a target temperature of from about 140° F. to about 240° F.;   adding at least one auxiliary chemical in an amount of less than 25 wt. % of the weight of the at least one carpet to the dye bath after at least 1 wt % of the at least one dye by weight of the at least one dye has been exhausted from the dye bath, wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical provides stain resistance, color fastness, or bleach resistance, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preparing the dye bath by:
 adding water to a bath, the water having an initial temperature of from about 35° F. to about 120° F.;   adding at least one water treatment chemical to the bath;   adding at least one acid to the bath to achieve a pH from about 1.5 to about 6.5;   adding the at least one dye to the bath.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise predyed fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the predyed fibers differ in hue, saturation, or value, or any combination thereof from a different portion of the predyed fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the portion and the different portion differ in hue prior to overdyeing. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the predyed fibers comprise fibers predyed with at least one pigment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the predyed fibers comprise fibers predyed with at least one acid dye. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein from about 25 wt. % to about 100 wt % of the predyed fibers comprise pigment and from 0 wt % to about 75 wt % of the predyed fibers comprise acid dye based on the total weight of the predyed fibers. 
     
     
         9 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise undyed fibers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise cationic-dyeable fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise polyamide fibers. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise polyester fibers. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality fibers comprise polyolefin fibers, polyvinyl fibers, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise waste yarn. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprise predyed yarn. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the predyed yarn comprises space dyed yarn, solution dyed yarn, dyeable yarn, or recycled yarn, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one dye comprises at least one acid dye. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one acid dye comprises at least one leveling acid dye, at least one premetalized acid dye, or at least one milling acid dye, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one dye differs from the plurality of fibers in hue, saturation, value, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one dye comprises at least one dye darker than at least one of the plurality of fibers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one dye comprises at least one yellow dye, at least one red dye, or at least one blue dye, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dye bath further comprises at least one treatment chemical. 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the acid comprises acetic acid, sulfuric acid, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the sulfuric acid is provided by at least one organic sulfate, at least one inorganic sulfate, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical comprises at least one stain blocker. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is added after at least 50 wt % of the at least one dye based on the weight of the at least one dye has been exhausted from the dye bath. 
     
     
         33 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is added to the dye bath in an amount of from about 0.5 wt % to about 25 wt % based on the weight of the at least one carpet. 
     
     
         37 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical comprises substituted acrylic acid in the presence of a sulfonated aromatic aldehyde condensation polymer. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is anionic. 
     
     
         42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dye bath has a pH of from about 1.75 to about 3.0. 
     
     
         44 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is added after the target temperature is reached. 
     
     
         48 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target temperature is a temperature of from about 140° F. to about 212° F. and the temperature of the dye bath is held at the target temperature with a deviation of less than 5° F. from about 5 seconds to about 1 hour. 
     
     
         52 - 53 . (canceled) 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dye bath is in the absence of a cationic dye. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dye bath is in the absence of a cationic auxiliary chemical. 
     
     
         56 . (canceled) 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming the at least one carpet from fibers prior to placing the at least one carpet in the dye bath.   
     
     
         58 - 67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . An overdyed carpet produced by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         69 . (canceled) 
     
     
         70 . An overdyed carpet having a predominant hue throughout the carpet, the carpet comprising a plurality of predyed fibers overdyed with at least one dye, wherein from about 25 wt % to about 100 wt % of the dye present in the carpet is pigment and from 0 wt % to about 75 wt % of the dye present in the carpet is acid dye based on the total weight of dye in the carpet. 
     
     
         71 - 72 . (canceled) 
     
     
         73 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the acid dye is present from about 10 wt % to about 20 wt % based on the total weight of dye in the carpet. 
     
     
         74 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of predyed fibers differ in hue, saturation, or value, or any combination thereof from a different portion of the plurality of predyed fibers. 
     
     
         75 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 74 , wherein the portion and the different portion differ in hue. 
     
     
         76 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the carpet comprises cationic-dyeable fibers. 
     
     
         77 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the carpet comprises polyamide fibers. 
     
     
         78 . (canceled) 
     
     
         79 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the carpet comprises polyester fibers. 
     
     
         80 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 79 , wherein the polyester fibers comprise triexta fibers. 
     
     
         81 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the carpet comprises polyolefin fibers, polyvinyl fibers, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         82 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the carpet comprises waste yarn. 
     
     
         83 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the plurality of predyed fibers comprise predyed yarn. 
     
     
         84 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 83 , wherein the carpet comprises space dyed yarn, solution dyed yarn, dyeable yarn, or recycled yarn, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         85 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the at least one dye comprises at least one acid dye. 
     
     
         86 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 85 , wherein the at least one acid dye comprises at least one leveling acid dye, at least one premetalized acid dye, or at least one milling acid dye, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         87 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the at least one dye differs from the plurality of predyed fibers in hue, saturation, value, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         88 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the at least one dye comprises at least one dye darker than at least one of the plurality of predyed fibers. 
     
     
         89 . (canceled) 
     
     
         90 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 70 , wherein the carpet comprises at least one auxiliary chemical that provides stain resistance, color fastness, or bleach resistance, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         91 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 90 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical comprises at least one stain blocker. 
     
     
         92 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 90 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is present in an amount of from about 0.5 wt % to about 25 wt % based on the weight of the carpet in the absence of the at least one auxiliary chemical and overdye. 
     
     
         93 - 94 . (canceled) 
     
     
         95 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 90 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is present in an amount of from about 13 wt % to about 20 wt % based on the weight of the carpet in the absence of the at least one auxiliary chemical and overdye. 
     
     
         96 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 90 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical comprises substituted acrylic acid in the presence of a sulfonated aromatic aldehyde condensation polymer. 
     
     
         97 . The overdyed carpet of  claim 90 , wherein the at least one auxiliary chemical is anionic. 
     
     
         98 - 99 . (canceled)