Carpet with a High Light Reflectance Value and Method of Producing such Carpet

Abstract

Besides a method for manufacturing a carpet, the invention further relates to a carpet with a LRV higher than 30. In particular such carpet comprises yarns are made of PP/PA/PET/PTT/PBT, which are either white based or solution dyed based, and tufted on a white or very light woven or web substrate, such as PET and/or PP, pre-coated with a polyolefin such as HYPOD or SBR which is whitened with a filler, such as MgCO 3 , TiO 2 , ATH, and/or CaCO 3 , and which may comprise, in particular in the case of loose laid tiles, a secondary heavy coating consisting of a very light coloured secondary heavy coating such as a specific polyolefin, PVC, PVB, EVA or a (synthetic) bitumen, loaded with a filler pre-selected on lightness and purity as CaCO3 and/or ATH and/or specific salts, e.g. NaCl or TiO 2 .

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing a carpet tile wherein the combination of the yarns and the substrate has a light reflectance above 30 according to the 2008 report BS8493 from the British Standards Institution, comprising:
 tufting white based or solution dyed based yarns onto a light coloured or white PET and/or PP substrate into loop pile;   precoating the substrate with a polyolefin or SBR with filler comprising MgCO 3 , CaCO 3 , ATH and/or TiO 2  with a chemical purity higher than 90%; and   applying a heavy coating layer comprising a polymer blend based on one of a synthetic bitumen filled with one or more components from the group of CaCO 3 , ATH, NaCl, MgCO 3  and a polyolefin co-polymer, tackifiers and wax/oil, filled with one or more components from the group of CaCO 3 , ATH, NaCl, MgCO 3 .   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the copolymer is a block-copolymer, in particular from the TPO's based on block co-polymers of ethene with e.g. blocks butane and/or hexane and/or octane and/or maleic anhydride. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising mixing about 50% tackifier, about 30% olefin (block) co-polymer and about 20% Oil-wax. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising applying between 20 to 80%, and more in particular 60-75% filler. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 12  wherein the yarns are made of PP/PA/PET/PTT/PBT. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 12 , comprising adding TiO 2 /MgCO 3 /CaCO 3 /ATH to the pre-coat and/or heavy coating. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the filler has a particle size ranging from ca. 1 μm-300 μm. 
     
     
         19 . A carpet having a light reflectance above 30 according to the 2008 report BS8493 from the British Standards Institution, comprising:
 loop pile yarns tufted onto a substrate;   the substrate having a precoat with a polyolefin or SBR with a filler comprising one or more components from the group of MgCO 3 , CaCO 3 , ATH and/or TiO 2 ; and   a heavy coating layer comprising a polymer blend based on one of a synthetic bitumen filled with one or more components from the group of CaCO 3 , ATH, NaCl, MgCO 3  and a polyolefin co-polymer, tackifiers and wax/oil filled with one or more components from the group of CaCO 3 , ATH, NaCl, MgCO 3 .   
     
     
         20 . The carpet according to  claim 19 , wherein the filler comprises MgCO 3 , CaCO 3 , ATH and/or TiO 2  with a chemical purity higher than 90%. 
     
     
         21 . The carpet according to  claim 19 , wherein the heavy coating layer further comprises tackifiers and wax/oil, filled with one or more components from the group of CaCO 3 , ATH, NaCl, MgCO 3 . 
     
     
         22 . The carpet according to  claim 19 , cut to a tile, for instance a 30×30 cm, a 40×40 cm, a 50×50 cm or a 60×60 cm tile.