Saxony Carpet Having Improved Appearance Retention

This invention relates to saxony carpet having improved appearance retention characteristics.

Two-ply nylon yarns and to a much lesser extent two-ply polyester yarns are used in the construction of saxony carpets. The yarns consist of crimped fibers and are used in the form of either continuous nylon filaments or nylon or polyester staple fibers. Conventionally, sufficient ply-twist is inserted in the yarns to provide optimum aesthetics in the carpet. The plied yarns are first treated (heatset) with either wet steam or dry heat at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to set the twist and crimp in the yarn. The heatset yarns are subsequently tufted into a primary backing to form loops that are then cut to form individual short lengths (3/8 to 2 inches) (0.95 to 5.08 cm) plied yarn (hereinafter referred to as tufts). Each tuft is attached to and projects upwardly from the primary backing and terminates as a cut end. The carpet is then hot-wet dyed to a desired color in a conventional manner. The underside of the primary backing is then coated with an adhesive composition. The adhesive anchors the tufts in the primary backing and is applied to the backing in the form of a latex compounded emulsion which is then dried with heat to cure the adhesive. In most instances, a secondary backing is applied to the underside of the primary backing before the adhesive is dried and cured. Acrylic fibers are not commercially used in the construction of saxony carpets since during the hot-wet dyeing operations conventionally used acrylic fibers lose their crimp (i.e. they "lean out") and their ability to stand erect (i.e. they lean over and mat down).

Saxony carpet has a very pleasing initial appearance. The crimp in the individual fibers imparts exceptional cover and loftiness (i.e. firmness, resilience, and body) to the carpet while the ply-twist in the individual tufts gives the carpet a uniform and crisp appearance (i.e. tuft endpoint definition). Unfortunately, most, saxony carpet made from conventional carpet fibers lacks good appearance retention characteristics because the individual tufts of the carpet lose ply-twist when the carpet is subjected to normal traffic. This loss of ply-twist causes tuft ends to open up or "bloom", lose tuft endpoint definition and become entangled with neighboring tuft ends which gives the pile a matted appearance and causes the pile to develop "walkout" in traffic areas. The term "appearance retention" is used to describe the ability of carpet to retain its initial appearance with respect to tuft endpoint definition and lack of matting after being subjected to repeated traffics, where each "traffic" is the occurrence of an individual walking across the carpet.

Efforts in the past to improve the appearance retention characteristics of saxony carpet have not proven entirely satisfactory. For example, while appearance retention can be improved somewhat by inserting more ply-twist in the tufts, doing so also reduces the body of the carpet and provides a carpet having a lean look and a harsh hand, trade-offs the carpet industry is not willing to make and consumers are not willing to accept.

It is apparent, therefore, that saxony carpets having improved appearance retention characteristics and a pleasing appearance and hand would constitute a major contribution to the art.

The present invention provides a saxony carpet having improved appearance retention characteristics. The carpet comprises a primary backing and twisted evenly sheared, heatset pile yarn in the form of individual lengths of plied yarn (tufts), each of which projects upwardly from the backing and terminates as a cut end. The pile yarn, prior to heatsetting thereof, is characterized in comprising a blend of carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers. Saxony carpet of the present invention, in addition to having improved appearance retention, also has a pleasing, initial appearance and hand. The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

The saxony carpets of the present invention may be made in conventional manner using instead of conventional carpet fibers a blend of fibers comprising carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers that is, the blend is processed into plied yarn which is heatset, tufted into a primary backing and sheared (cut) to provide saxony carpet of the present invention. (The term "fibers", as used herein, means individual staple fibers or continuous filaments.)

Carpet fibers useful in making the fiber blends are crimped fibers having deniers of at least 10 (dpf) and shrinkage less than 12%. Preferred carpet fibers are nylon 66 fibers, nylon 6 fibers and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. Other suitable carpet fibers include polyolefin fibers, such as polypropylene fibers, as well as other nylon and polyester fibers, such as nylon 612 fibers or polybutylene terephthalate fibers. Preferably, the carpet fibers have shrinkages of less than 8% and most preferably less than 5% and deniers of at least 12, usually between 15 and 25; a crimp frequency between 5 and 16 crimps per inch (2 to 6 crimps per cm), most preferably between 8 and 14 crimps per inch (3 to 6 crimps per cm), and a nonround cross-section (e.g. trilobal cross-section). If desired, mixtures of carpet fibers of different polymer composition (e.g. a nylon 66 and PET fiber mix) or a mixture of carpet fibers differing only or as well in shrinkage, denier, crimp or other characteristics may be used in the blend.

High shrinkage fibers useful in making the fiber blends have shrinkages of at least 12%. The high shrinkage fibers may be crimped or uncrimped and may be of a round or nonround crosssection. The denier of the high shrinkage fibers may be the same as or different from the denier of the carpet fibers of the blend. Preferred high shrinkage fibers will have shrinkages at least 10 shrinkage units higher than the shrinkages of the carpet fibers and most preferably at least 20 shrinkage units higher. Suitable fibers which are available in the requisite shrinkage range include, but are not limited to; polyester fibers (e.g. PET fibers); nylon copolymeric fibers, such as the copolymer consisting of hexamethylene adipamide (66) units, hexamethylene terephthalamide (6TA) units and hexamethylene azelamide (69) units where the amounts of 6TA and 69 units are selected to provide a copolymer having a melting point approximating that of the carpet fibers of the blend; and acrylic fibers. By acrylic fibers is meant fibers spun from a fiber-forming synthetic polymer composed of at least 85% by weight of acrylonitrile units and fibers (modacrylic fibers) in which the fiber-forming polymer is composed of less than 85% but at least 35% by weight of acrylonitrile units. Conventionally, the fiber-forming polymer is a copolymer of acrylonitrile with one or more vinyl compounds, such as: vinyl acetate, vinyl-pyridine, methylvinyl-pyridine, methyl methacrylate, vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, and/or vinylidene chloride. Particularly preferred high shrinkage fibers for use in providing the blends of the present invention are acrylic fibers and PET fibers having shrinkages in the range of 20% to 35%. If desired, mixtures of high shrinkage fibers of different polymer composition and/or different shrinkages or other characteristics may be used in the blends (e.g. a mixture of acrylic and polyester high shrinkage fibers).

Preferably, blends useful in practicing the present invention consist of staple fibers because blends of staple fibers, as compared to blends of continuous filaments, are easier to make and offer greater flexibility with respect to varying the proportions of the carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers, intimate blending thereof and incorporation of additional fiber components. Usually, saxony carpet staple fibers are cut to a definite length, i.e. a length between 6 and 9 inches (15 to 23 centimeters) from a tow of substantially identical filaments to provide staple fibers which are of the same composition (e.g. nylon 66) and have the same denier, crimp frequency, cross-sectional shape and length. If desired, the carpet fibers of the blend may consist of a mixture (blend) of carpet staple fibers having, for example, different cross-sectional shapes and/or different deniers and/or different lengths and/or different polymer composition (e.g. nylon and PET) for the purpose of providing, for example, special dyeing effects or to improve the economics and/or luster and/or body of the carpet. The high shrinkage fibers of the staple blend preferably are cut to the same length as the carpet fibers of the blend.

The quantities and shrinkages of the carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers of the fiber blends are selected such that at 40,000 traffics the appearance of saxony carpet having a pile consisting of the blend is better (as determined by Test A, hereinafter described) with respect to tuft endpoint definition and lack of matting than corresponding saxony carpet having a pile consisting solely of the carpet fibers. By corresponding saxony carpet is meant saxony carpet of the same construction with respect to gauge (spacing between rows of tufts), tuft height, face weight (stitches of corresponding carpet being selected to provide same face weight), backings, etc., made using pile yarn of the same construction with respect to twist, denier, etc. and dyed using same general conventional beck dyeing procedures. In most instances the difference in appearance between the saxony carpets after 40,000 traffics will be at least 1 ASTM grade and in many instances will be at least 2 ASTM grades (as determined by Test B, hereinafter described). Typically, the weight ratio of carpet fibers to high shrinkage fibers present in the blend will be in the range of 60:40 to 95:5 and, preferably, is in the range of 80:20 to 90:10. In the case of nylon/acrylic blends, for example, if the blend contains less than about 5% by weight of the high shrinkage fibers, the effect thereof on appearance retention of the saxony carpet becomes marginal and, if the blend contains more than about 40% by weight of the high shrinkage fibers, the saxony carpet tends to lose its pleasing initial appearance. Particularly good results are obtained with blends consisting essentially of nylon 66 staple carpet fibers and high shrinkage acrylic staple fibers in a weight ratio ranging from 80:20 to 90:10.

The fibers blends may contain in addition to carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers other fibers so long as the blend provides the above-mentioned appearance retention characteristics. For example, the blend may contain fibers made from wool, cotton, metal, carbon, etc. or fibers that contain additives such as carbon black. It is also contemplated that all or a portion of fibers of the blends may be coated with materials such as fluorocarbons and/or stain blockers for the purpose of improving the soil and stain resistance of the fibers.

High shrinkage fibers of the fibers blends may be prepared by conventional techniques. For example, high shrinkage acrylic staple fibers may be obtained from acrylic tow having the desired shrinkage characteristics. In general, the more the tow is hot stretched, the greater is its shrinkage. The hot-stretching of the tow may be accomplished in a conventional manner either prior to cutting of the tow to staple or as a part of a stretch-break process. Typically, if the tow is hot-stretched 1.6 to 2.0 times its length, shrinkage of the tow will be in the range of 20 to 40%. High shrinkage PET fibers can be provided by known techniques selected to provide the desired shrinkages. The resulting yarns can be used in filament form or converted to staple of an appropriate length by conventional techniques.

The polymer composition of the fibers of the blend is selected to permit processing of the fibers into yarns and carpets, bearing in mind, temperatures, stresses, etc., generally encountered.

The shrinkage of the high shrinkage fibers of the fibers blends must be preserved until the carpet yarns made from the blends are prebulked and/or heatset. Thus, it may be necessary to either cold crimp rather than hot crimp the high shrinkage fibers or to not crimp the high shrinkage fibers at all. In the case of continuous filament blends, the blend can be formed by, first, steam-jet texturing a yarn consisting of the carpet filaments and, then, inserting high shrinkage filaments into the yarn (e.g. by means of an air tangling jet) and, finally, winding the resulting yarn consisting of the fiber blend on a bobbin.

I. Shrinkage: the term "shrinkage", as used herein with reference to fibers, is determined by the following test: A sample of the fiber is placed under a tension of 0.100 grams per denier to fully extend the fiber (straighten out any crimp) without stretching or elongating the fiber. The length of the fiber in this condition is measured and recorded as L.sub.o. The fiber is then immersed in boiling water for ten minutes under no tension, removed and allowed to cool and dry for 10 minutes under no tension, and then under a tension of 0.100 grams per denier, its length is again measured This latter measured length is recorded as L.sub.1. Shrinkage is then determined by the following formula: % Shrinkage=[(L.sub.o -L.sub.1)/L.sub.o ].times.100 or (L.sub.o -L.sub.1 /L.sub.o).times.100=shrinkage units.

II. Appearance retention: the following tests (Test A and Test B) given in this section provide a means by which the appearance retention of saxony carpet having pile yarn consisting of a blend of carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers (Blend Carpet) can be compared to a corresponding saxony carpet having pile yarn consisting solely of the carpet fibers of the blend (Control Carpet):

(1) Two saxony carpets (Blend Carpet and corresponding Control Carpet) are subjected to 40,000 traffics using the procedure described in ASTM Designation D2401. (The carpets are placed directly on the floor--a pad is not used.)

(2) Test A--The trafficked carpets (Blend and Control) are visually compared in a side-by-side comparison without knowledge of which carpet is which and the carpet having the better appearance with respect to tuft endpoint definition and lack of matting is identified. (Color appearance is not taken into consideration.) Test A given in this paragraph provides a simple means for determining which of two carpets has better appearance retention characteristics.

(3) Test B--The difference in appearance between the trafficked Blend Carpet and Control Carpet is determined by evaluating the appearance retention of both carpets using six (6) graders and reference photographs in the manner described in ASTM D2401. Each grader determines an ASTM grade for both carpets. For each grader the Blend Carpet grade is subtracted from the Control Carpet grade and the differences, expressed in terms of ASTM Grades, are averaged. If the averaged differences is positive, the Blend Carpet has better appearance retention characteristics and, if the averaged differences is negative, the Control Carpet has better appearance retention characteristic. Test B given in this paragraph provides a means for quantitatively assessing the difference in appearance retention characteristics between two or more carpets.

This example illustrates preparation of saxony carpet of the invention and the improved appearance retention characteristics. The following fibers are obtained:

(1) Conventional crimped nylon 66 carpet staple fibers which are uniform in appearance and have a length of 71/2 inches (19.05 cm), a denier of 19, an average of 12 crimps per inch (4.72 crimps per cm), a shrinkage of about 3% and a trilobal cross-section;

(2) Conventional crimped PET, carpet staple fibers having a shrinkage of <1%, a length of 7 inches (17.78 cm), a denier of 15, an average of 9 crimps per inch (3.54 crimps per cm) and a trilobal cross-section;

(3) Acrylic staple fibers consisting of a copolymer of acrylonitrile and vinyl acetate in a weight ratio of about 93:7 and having a length of 71/2 inch (19.05 cm), a denier of 12 and a shrinkage of about 28%;

(4) PET staple fibers having a length of 71/2 inches (19.05 cm), a denier per filament of 12 and a shrinkage of about 21%; PET staple fibers having a length of 71/2 inches (19.05 cm), a denier of 12 and a shrinkage of about 41%; PET staple fibers having a length of 71/2 inches (19.05 cm), a denier of 12 and a shrinkage of about 53%.

(5) Nylon staple fibers consisting of a copolymer (COP) of 66 units, 69 units and 6TA units in a weight ratio of 50/25/25 and having a shrinkage of about 17%, a length of 71/2 inches (19.05 cm and a denier of 12.

Plied yarns are made from the above conventional carpet fibers [(1) and (2)] and from blends of the above conventional carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers [(3), (4) and (5)]. Saxony carpets are then made using the plied yarns. The saxony carpets and the fiber components of their plied yarns are shown in Table 1.

The plied yarns are made by the following procedure:

(1) The appropriate staple fibers or blends thereof are converted to 65 grain sliver and spun on a conventional Whiten NW long staple carpet ring spinning frame (or on an equivalent frame) to provide 3.50 cotton count (cc) singles yarn having 5.0 tpi (1.97 tpcm) of twist in the Z-direction. Two ends of each of the singles yarns are then twisted together on a ply twister with 4.3 tpi (1.69 tpcm) of twist in the S-direction to provide plied test yarns.

(2) Each plied yarn is heatset in a conventional manner under conditions that are suitable for the carpet fibers of the yarn and that minimize restriction of the shrinkages of any of the fibers of the yarn.

The saxony carpet samples (A-M) shown in Table I are made using the plied yarns and the following construction:

(a) gauge (spacing between rows of tufts)--5/32 inches (0.40 cm).

(b) tuft height--5/8 inches (1.59 cm).

(c) face weight--30 ounces of yarn per square yard (1.02 dg/m.sup.2) of carpet with the spacings between stitches being selected to provide the 30 ounce (1.02 kg) face weight.

(d) backings--the primary backing is a polyropylene backing, such as Polybac.RTM. backing (style 2477) and the secondary backing is also a polypropylene backing, such as Actionbac.RTM. backing (style 3801).

The carpets are dyed to a light mauve shade of color using conventional beck dyeing equipment and the following procedure:

(a) load carpet over reel and set carpet speed at 60 ypm (54.86 mpm)

(b) set dyebath at 27.degree. C. with a 30:1 liquor to goods ratio,

(c) conventional anti-foaming agents, leveling agents, pH buffers, sequestering agents and anti-coagulants are added as needed,

(d) raise temperature to 38.degree. C. at the rate of 1.5.degree. C. per minute and run for 10 minutes at 38.degree. C.,

(e) add a sufficient amount of an appropriate dyestuff to dye the carpets to a light shade of mauve color,

(f) raise temperature to 97.degree. C. at the rate of 1.5.degree. C. per minute,

(g) run at 97.degree. C. for 60 minutes.

(h) flood rinse to 71.degree. C., run 5 minutes, drop bath and cold rinse,

(i) dry and then laminate carpet at 121.degree. C. carpet face temperature.

Each carpet shown in Table I is subjected to 40,000 traffics using the procedure described in ASTM Designation D2401 described herein and then the following pairs of test carpets are compared by Test A to determine which carpet of each pair has the best appearance with respect to tuft endpoint definition and lack of matting: A/B, A/C, A/D, A/E, F/G, F/H, F/I, F/J, F/K, F/L, A/M and F/M. In each instance the Blend Carpet (B, C, D, E, G. H, I, J and K) is selected as having better appearance than the corresponding Control Carpet (A or F).

The difference in appearance retention (using 6 graders) between the Blend and Control Carpets is determined using Test B. The difference in appearance retention between most of the above pairs of Blend Carpets and Control Carpets is at least 1 ASTM Grade and in many cases is at least 2 ASTM Grades.

Similar results can be expected by using a blend of carpet fibers and high shrinkages fibers in continuous filament form, for example, by using a yarn consisting of continuous filaments of nylon 66 as the carpet fiber component of the yarn and continuous filaments of high shrinkage filaments as the high shrinkage component of the yarn.

Saxony carpets of the present invention made using the blends described herein instead of conventional carpet fibers have a very pleasing initial appearance, in fact, the initial appearance thereof is as good as and in many instances superior to that of saxony carpets made from conventional carpet fibers. Conventionally, saxony carpet is not made using yarns consisting solely of high shrinkage fibers because saxony carpet made from such yarns has an unacceptable board-like appearance and hand and, in the case of high shrinkage acrylic fibers, also lacks loftiness and has a matted appearance. Acrylic fibers, including low shrinkage acrylic fibers, are not commercially used in the construction of saxony carpets since during the hot-wet dyeing operations conventionally used acrylic fibers lose their crimp (i.e. they "lean out") and their ability to stand erect (i.e. they lean over and mat down). Thus, it is truly surprising that the appearance retention of saxony carpet is greatly improved by blending high shrinkage fibers with carpet fibers since high shrinkage fibers by themselves provide saxony carpet having poor appearance characteristics.

The fiber blends used in making the Saxony carpets of the invention are typically either blends of staple fibers or blends of continuous filaments. However, the blends may also be blends of staple fibers and continuous filament(s), for example wrap spun yarns consisting of carpet staple fibers wrapped with a high shrinkage continuous filament or filaments or wrap spun yarns consisting of carpet fibers and high shrinkage fibers wrapped with a continuous filament or filaments of a conventional shrinkage, for example, convention carpet filaments.