Carpet products and processes for making same using latex coating compositions

Abstract

Disclosed are carpet products comprising at least one substrate and at least one adhesive layer associated with the at least one substrate, the adhesive layer being formed from a latex coating composition comprising (a) a first copolymer of at least a vinyl ester of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to 13 carbon atoms and ethylene; and (b) a second copolymer of at least styrene and butadiene, wherein the first and second copolymers are colloidally dispersed in an aqueous medium comprising a surfactant. The carpet products are particularly durable exhibiting high tuft bind values.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A carpet product comprising at least one substrate and at least one adhesive layer associated with said at least one substrate, said adhesive layer being formed from a latex coating composition comprising:
 (a) a first copolymer of at least a vinyl ester of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to 13 carbon atoms and ethylene; and   (b) a second copolymer of at least styrene and butadiene, wherein the first and second copolymers are colloidally dispersed in an aqueous medium comprising a surfactant.   
     
     
         2 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one adhesive layer associated with the at least one substrate is a precoat layer that binds carpet fibers to the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one adhesive layer associated with the at least one substrate is a skipcoat layer that binds a primary backing layer to a secondary backing layer. 
     
     
         4 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , having a tuft bind value greater than 20 N. 
     
     
         5 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , having a tuft bind value greater than 27 N. 
     
     
         6 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , having a tuft bind percentage, as defined herein, greater than 150%. 
     
     
         7 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first copolymer is present in an amount from 30 to 99 wt. % and the second copolymer is present in an amount from 1 to 70 wt. %. 
     
     
         8 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first copolymer is present in an amount from 40 to 75 wt. %, and the second copolymer is present in an amount from 25 to 60 wt. %. 
     
     
         9 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first copolymer is a copolymer of the vinyl ester of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to 13 carbon atoms, ethylene, and an acrylic monomer or ester thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first copolymer comprises a copolymer of vinyl acetate, vinyl neodecanoate and ethylene. 
     
     
         11 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first copolymer has an average particle size from 100 to 400 nm, as determined by a 90 Plus Particle Size Analyzer using a 35 mW solid state laser of 658 nm wavelength at room temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the second copolymer is a copolymer of styrene, butadiene and acrylonitrile. 
     
     
         13 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein either the first copolymer or the second copolymer further comprises a polyethylenically unsaturated co-monomer selected from the group consisting of triallyl cyanurate, triallyl isocyanurate, diallyl maleate, diallyl fumarate, divinyl benzine, diallyl phthalate, silanes, and GMA. 
     
     
         14 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer further comprises a filler selected from the group consisting of kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, ATH aluminum trihydrate, recycled fillers, ground glass, silica, fly ash, and combinations of said fillers. 
     
     
         15 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the latex coating composition is stabilized with at least one of an anionic or nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         16 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first copolymer comprises from 75 to 95 pphm vinyl acetate and from 5 to 25 pphm of ethylene. 
     
     
         17 . The carpet product of  claim 16 , wherein the second copolymer comprises from 20 to 80 pphm of styrene and from 20 to 80 pphm of butadiene. 
     
     
         18 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the second copolymer comprises from 20 to 80 pphm of styrene and from 20 to 80 pphm of butadiene. 
     
     
         19 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the latex coating composition has a solids content of from 40 to 70 wt. %. 
     
     
         20 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the latex coating composition comprises a blend of a first dispersion comprising the first copolymer and a second dispersion comprising the second copolymer. 
     
     
         21 . The carpet product of  claim 20 , wherein the first dispersion comprises less than 1.0 pphm polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
         22 . The carpet product of  claim 20 , wherein the first dispersion comprises less than 0.5 pphm polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
         23 . The carpet product of  claim 20 , wherein the first dispersion comprises less than 1.0 wt. percent polyvinyl alcohol, based on the total weight of all monomers. 
     
     
         24 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second copolymers are not intimately mixed. 
     
     
         25 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive composition has a viscosity from 2,000 to 60,000 cP. 
     
     
         26 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the latex coating composition has a final viscosity, as defined herein, that does not increase by greater than 50% after 48 hours. 
     
     
         27 . The carpet product of  claim 1 , wherein the latex coating composition further comprises hydroxyethyl cellulose. 
     
     
         28 . A process for forming a carpet product, the process comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an adhesive composition comprising a latex coating composition, comprising:
 (i) a first copolymer of at least a vinyl ester of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to 13 carbon atoms and ethylene; and 
 (ii) a second copolymer of at least styrene and butadiene, wherein the first and second copolymers are colloidally dispersed in an aqueous medium comprising a surfactant; 
   (b) contacting carpet fibers with a primary backing material;   (c) applying the adhesive composition to the carpet fibers and the primary backing material; and   (d) drying the adhesive composition under conditions effective to adhere the carpet fibers to the primary backing material.   
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the carpet product has a tuft bind value greater than 20 N. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the carpet product has a tuft bind value greater than 27 N. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the carpet product has a tuft bind percentage, as defined herein, greater than 150%. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first copolymer is present in an amount from 30 to 99 wt. % and the second copolymer is present in an amount from 1 to 70 wt. %. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first copolymer is present in an amount from 40 to 75 wt. %, and the second copolymer is present in an amount from 25 to 60 wt. %. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first copolymer comprises a copolymer of vinyl acetate, vinyl neodecanoate and ethylene. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first copolymer has an average particle size from 100 to 400 nm, as determined by a 90 Plus Particle Size Analyzer using a 35 mW solid state laser of 658 nm wavelength at room temperature. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the second copolymer is a copolymer of styrene, butadiene and acrylonitrile. 
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first copolymer is a copolymer of the vinyl ester of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to 13 carbon atoms, ethylene, and an acrylic monomer or ester thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein either the first copolymer or the second copolymer further comprises a polyethylenically unsaturated co-monomer selected from the group consisting of triallyl cyanurate, triallyl isocyanurate, diallyl maleate, diallyl fumarate, divinyl benzine, diallyl phthalate, silanes, and GMA. 
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the adhesive composition further comprises a filler selected from the group consisting of kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, ATH aluminum trihydrate, recycled fillers, ground glass, silica, fly ash, and combinations of said fillers. 
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the latex coating composition is stabilized with at least one of an anionic or nonionic surfactant. 
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first copolymer comprises from 75 to 95 pphm vinyl acetate and from 5 to 25 pphm of ethylene. 
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 41 , wherein the second copolymer comprises from 20 to 80 pphm of styrene and from 20 to 80 pphm of butadiene. 
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the second copolymer comprises from 20 to 80 pphm of styrene and from 20 to 80 pphm of butadiene. 
     
     
         44 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the latex coating composition has a solids content of from 40 to 70 wt. %. 
     
     
         45 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the latex coating composition comprises a blend of a first dispersion comprising the first copolymer and a second dispersion comprising the second copolymer. 
     
     
         46 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the first dispersion comprises less than 1.0 pphm polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
         47 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the first dispersion comprises less than 0.5 pphm polyvinyl alcohol. 
     
     
         48 . The process of  claim 45 , wherein the first dispersion comprises less than 1.0 wt. percent polyvinyl alcohol, based on the total weight of all monomers. 
     
     
         49 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the first and second copolymers are not intimately mixed. 
     
     
         50 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the adhesive composition has a viscosity from 2,000 to 60,000 cP. 
     
     
         51 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the latex coating composition has a final viscosity, as defined herein, that does not increase by greater than 50% after 48 hours. 
     
     
         52 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the latex coating composition further comprises hydroxyethyl cellulose. 
     
     
         53 . A process for forming a carpet product, the process comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing an adhesive composition comprising a latex coating composition comprising:
 (i) a first copolymer of at least a vinyl ester of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to 13 carbon atoms and ethylene; and 
 (ii) a second copolymer of at least styrene and butadiene, wherein the first and second copolymers are colloidally dispersed in an aqueous medium comprising a surfactant; 
   (b) providing a primary carpet layer comprising yarn tufted into a primary backing material;   (c) applying the adhesive composition to at least one of the primary carpet layer or a secondary backing;   (d) contacting the primary carpet layer with the secondary backing; and   (e) drying the adhesive composition under conditions effective to adhere the primary carpet layer to the secondary backing.   
     
     
         54 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein a precoat layer binds the yarn to the primary backing material. 
     
     
         55 . The process of  claim 53 , wherein the precoat layer comprises the same latex coating composition as the adhesive composition.