Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PROCESSES TO DYE AND TREAT SINGLE BCF YARN
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to treatment processes for bulk continuous
filament (BCF) carpet
and related textile fabrics, and specifically, to processes for applying dyes
and performance
enhancing compositions on BCF yarns during the rewind process prior to
twisting, weaving,
knitting or tufting. The process foregoes the need to dye and otherwise treat
carpets and other
textiles made from the BCF yarn using current methods. Thus, low inventory
overhead is
achieved and costly and environmentally unfavorable dyeing and low pH chemical
treatment
processes are eliminated. Also disclosed herein are systems used to apply the
dye and
performance enhancement formulations to the BCF yarn, and stain/soil repellent
yarns, and
carpets with improved anti-stain and anti-soil properties made from the BCF
yarn of the
disclosed process.
BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY
[0002] Carpets and other fabrics made from synthetic yarns are currently
colored using two
well-established processes. The first process involves converting colorless
white yarns into
carpet, and dyeing the carpet in a dye bath. This process is referred to as
the "acid dye
process." The acid dye process can be either a batch or a continuous dyeing
operation. Each
dyeing operation requires a large volume of water, steam to set the dyes, and
heat to dry the
carpet. In addition, collection and disposal of excess dye and acidified
performance enhancing
solutions add manufacturing cost and place additional burden on waste
management and water
treatment facilities. The second process adds color pigments into the polymer
during the melt
spinning process. This process is referred to as the "solution dye process."
The solution dye
process is a low cost operation, but in comparison to the acid dye process it
imposes
undesirable inventory allocation measures on the fiber producer and the carpet
mill. In order to
meet consumer demand, then, the fiber producer and carpet mill may need to
keep a costly
inventory of colored yarns produced by the solution dye process. Variable
production demands
and large inventory costs can affect inventory flexibility with the result
being the color availability
of solution dyed carpets is undesirably limited.
[0003] Topical chemistries are used to treat carpets and other fabrics for
improved stain
resistance and/or soil resistance. For nylon carpets, both stain blocker (e.g.
acid dye blocker)
and anti-soil with fluorochemicals are traditionally used. For polyester
carpets, such as 2GT
and 3GT carpets, and polypropylene carpets, anti-soil chemistry may be applied
topically to the
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tufted carpet as part of the carpet finishing process. Polyester and
polypropylene carpets
typically do not require a stain blocker treatment because of inherent stain
resistance to acid
dyes and stains owing to their lack of amine end groups that function as acid
dye sites.
[0004] Topical application at the carpet mill can be in the form of exhaust
application and
spray application. Exhaust application (i.e. flex-nip process at high (300 ¨
400 wt.%) wet pick-
up), is known to provide an improvement in efficacy over spray-on applications
at 10-20 wt.%
wet pick-up of anti-soil. Exhaust applications typically use greater amounts
of water and energy
to dry and cure the carpet than do spray applications. Spray-on
fluorochennical products are
designed to use less water and energy than exhaust applications, but do not
impart satisfactory
anti-soil properties.
[0005] While various processes are in use in the carpet industry for the
dyeing and finishing of
carpets, some large scale and some small, most of the carpet made today is
dyed and finished
on a continuous dye range. This is done mainly in one of two ways: In one
case, a two stage
process is employed, where the carpet is steamed and dyed first, steamed,
rinsed, and excess
water extracted; then stain blocker (SB) is applied, the carpet is again
steamed and washed,
and then anti-soil fluorochemical (FC) is applied in the form of a foam or
liquid spray and the
carpet is finally dried. (See e.g. U.S. Patent Nos. 5,853,814; 5,948,480 and
W02000/000691).
In the second, somewhat improved case, called the co-application process, the
carpet is also
steamed and dyed first, steamed again, rinsed and extracted; and then a blend
of SB and FC is
applied together at high wet pick up, after which the carpet and chemicals are
exposed once
again to steam to fix the treatment, followed by drying. (See e.g. U.S. Patent
Nos. 6,197,378
and 5,520,962). In both cases, low pH solutions, excess water, and energy are
required for the
SB and FC to penetrate the carpet and achieve uniform coverage. In sum, the
typical prior art
process is as follows: BCF yarn ¨Twist ¨> heat set tufting ¨> carpet
dye stain block /
anti-soil.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] There is a desire to reduce the overall usage of dyeing solutions and
stain blocker
formulations for environmental and cost reasons. Further, there is also a
desire to reduce the
amount of water and low pH chemicals used to apply the dyeing and anti-stain
formulations.
Thus, processes which provide for low inventory needs while applying such
beneficial
compositions using less water, nominal pH chemicals, and less energy are in
demand.
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[0007] While the development of a process that eliminates the current carpet
treatment
systems for applying anti-stain and anti-soil compositions is desirable,
current processes do
exist for good reasons. First, because the appearance of carpet has
historically depended on
the ability to dye wool or nylon or even polyester tufted carpets to the
desired shade, it would
not be permissible to treat the carpet with compositions such as anti-stain or
anti-soil
chemistries beforehand that might interfere with the process of uniform
dyeing. Further, the
dyeing process would tend to remove the topical treatment chemistries,
rendering them
ineffective.
[0008] Second, as mentioned above, treatment of yarn or fabric with
performance
enhancement formulations for stain and soil resistance typically involves
fixing with steam, and
low pH may also be required especially for acid dyed fabrics. Therefore, it
was deemed most
practical to process carpets in the order described above, where carpet is
formed, then steamed
and dyed, steamed again, rinsed and extracted; and then SB and FC is applied,
again involving
steaming and/or rinsing in the various processes of the prior art.
[0009] Carpets have also long been constructed of dyed or pigmented yarns,
which
constructions are treated in numerous possible ways, including the options of
further dyeing,
and the application of stain and/or soil resistant compositions with the
concomitant use of steam
and rinse water, as in the processes described above.
[0010] The invention disclosed herein provides a process to make textile
fabrics, especially
tufted articles, without the requirements for dyeing and subsequent stain and
soil resistant
chemistry application, thus avoiding the costs associated with maintaining
large inventories as
well as waste generated by steam fixation and rinsing attendant with such
large-scale fabric
applications. As disclosed herein, the process involves application of dyes
and topical
chemistries to undyed single yarns during a yarn rewind process. The
chemistries are then
optionally heat-set onto the single yarn. The single, treated yarn can then be
twisted, weaved
and tufted, or weaved and tufted, into a finished fabric or carpet. Novel
systems that enable the
efficient application of dye solutions and topical chemistries to yarn
subsequent to twisting and
prior to winding and heat-setting are also disclosed.
[0011] Specifically, the disclosed process uses a dye solution and/or
performance enhancing
composition applicator positioned within a mechanical rewind process. In sum,
the disclosed
process moves the back end, large scale and wasteful stain blocker application
step to a single
yarn rewind process. Thus, the carpet manufacturing process now becomes: BCF
yarn dye
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¨> optional SB/FC ¨> optional heat set ¨> optional twist -- heat set
(optionally dry heat set) --
tufting -- carpet. Surprisingly, the disclosed process is as effective, or
even more effective,
than processes of the prior art in terms of fabric soil resistance.
Additionally, neutral pH dye
solutions (4-9 pH) can be used instead of the prior art low pH dye solutions
(1-3 pH). This
reduces the environmental impact of prior art processes.
[0012] As described above, the process of the disclosed invention is
counterintuitive since
treating the carpet yarn prior to heat setting and tufting is known to affect
the quality of the
finished carpet, particularly during dyeing. Further, the inventive process is
also counter
intuitive because soil resistant compositions tend to be very difficult to
apply uniformly to twisted
yarn bundles at the usual line speed without substantial waste [30 to 80 yards-
per-minute
(ypm)]. Moreover, the disclosed process is counter intuitive because the prior
art yarn rewind
apparatuses have not previously accepted topical chemistry applications to
single yarn prior to
rewinding. However, as shown below, nylon and polyester carpets manufactured
with the
treated BCF yarn show one or more of the following desirable characteristics:
O At least equivalent dyeing characteristics vs. the current state of the
art
processes.
O At least equivalent stain and soil repellant performance vs. the current
state of
the art processes.
O Desirable aesthetic attributes otherwise not generated by the current
state of the
art processes.
[0013] In one aspect, a process for treating single BCF yarn with a dye
composition is
disclosed. The process comprises: (a) providing single BCF yarn; (b) winding
said BCF yarn on
a rewind package; and (c) contacting said BCF yarn with said dye composition
while said BCF
yarn is in motion and prior to said BCF yarn contacting and winding up on said
rewind package.
The dye composition can be comprised of an acid dye composition or a disperse
dye
composition.
[0014] In another aspect, a process for treating single BCF yarn with a dye
composition is
disclosed. The process comprises: (a) providing single BCF yarn; (b) winding
said BCF yarn on
a rewind package; (c) contacting said BCF yarn with said dye composition while
said BCF yarn
is in motion and prior to said BCF yarn contacting and winding up on said
rewind package; and
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(d) heat setting said BCF yarn after contacting with said dye composition and
prior to winding up
on said rewind package. The dye composition can be comprised of an acid dye
composition or
a disperse dye composition.
[0015] In a further aspect, a process for treating single BCF yarn with a dye
composition and
at least one performance enhancing compositions is disclosed. The process
comprises: (a)
providing single BCF yarn; (b) winding said BCF yarn on a rewind package; (c)
contacting said
BCF yarn with said dye composition; (d) optionally contacting said BCF yarn
with a first
performance enhancing composition; and (e) contacting said BCF yarn with a
second
performance enhancing composition prior to said BCF yarn contacting and
winding up on said
rewind package, wherein said BCF yarn is in motion while contacted with said
dye, said optional
first performance enhancing composition, and said second performance enhancing
composition.
The dye composition can be comprised of an acid dye composition or a disperse
dye
composition. The optional first performance enhancing composition can be stain
blocking
compositions that are comprised of species having acidic moieties that
associate with polymer
amine end groups and protect them from staining by acidic dye stains. The
general category of
chemicals suitable to the process of the instant invention can comprise any
chemical that blocks
positively charged dye sites. The second performance enhancing composition can
be anti-soil
compositions that comprise high specific surface energy chemicals or other
materials, for
example a fluorochemical that imparts high specific surface energy properties
such as high
contact angles for water and oil, or even a non-fluorochemical particulate
material having similar
properties. The anti-soil composition can further comprise an anti-stain
component.
[0016] In even another aspect, a process for treating single BCF yarn with a
dye composition
and performance enhancing compositions is disclosed. The process comprises:
(a) providing
single BCF yarn; (b) winding said BCF yarn on a rewind package; (c) contacting
said BCF yarn
with said dye composition; (d) optionally contacting said BCF yarn with a
first performance
enhancing composition; (e) contacting said BCF yarn with a second performance
enhancing
composition, wherein said BCF yarn is in motion while contacted with said dye,
said first
performance enhancing composition, and said second performance enhancing
composition;
and (f) heat setting said BCF yarn after contacting said BCF yarn with said
dye composition,
said first performance enhancing composition, and said second performance
enhancing
composition and prior to winding on said rewind package. The dye compositions
and
performance enhancing compositions are disclosed above.
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[0017] In a further aspect, an untufted, single BCF yarn comprising a dye
component is
disclosed, wherein said dye component is present on said single BCF yarn prior
to tufting the
BCF yarn. The dye component is selected from acid and disperse dye
ingredients. The yarn
can comprise polyamide fiber and/or have polymer components selected from
polyester. The
yarn can be tufted and manufactured into carpet or fabrics.
[0018] In yet another aspect, an untufted, single BCF yarn comprising a dye
component, an
anti-soil component, and an optional anti-stain component is disclosed,
wherein said dyeing
component, anti-soil component and optional anti-stain component are present
on said single
BCF yarn prior to tufting the BCF yarn. The dye component is selected from
acid and disperse
dye ingredients. The anti-soil component and optional anti-stain component can
be selected
from the compositions disclosed above. The stain blocking component is
optionally present at
an amount on weight of fiber of about 0.5 to about 40 ppm elemental sulfur
content. The anti-
soil component is present at an amount on weight of fiber from about 100 ppm
to about 1000
ppm elemental fluorine content. The yarn can comprise polyamide fiber and/or
have polymer
components selected from polyester. The yarn can be tufted and manufactured
into carpet or
fabrics.
[0019] In yet a further aspect, a process for manufacturing carpet is
disclosed comprising
providing an untufted, single BCF yarn comprising a dye component, an optional
stain blocker
component, and an anti-soil component, tufting said BCF yarn, and weaving into
said carpet.
Because of the dye and performance enhancing components present on the BCF
yarn prior to
tufting and weaving, there is no need to process the finished carpet by dyeing
or treating with an
acidified stain blocker composition and an anti-soil composition under the
current state of the art
processes.
[0020] In yet even another aspect, a system for applying a dye composition to
single BCF
yarn is disclosed. The system comprises: (a) a yarn package that transmits a
single yarn
member; (b) a dye composition applicator disposed downstream of said yarn
package that
applies said dye composition to said single yarn member; and (c) a rewind
package that
receives a dyed single yarn member. The dyeing composition can be comprised of
acid dye or
disperse dye ingredients.
[0021] In yet even a further aspect, a system for applying a dye composition
and at least one
performance enhancing composition to single BCF yarn is disclosed. The system
comprises: (a)
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a yarn package that transmits a single yarn member; (b) a dye composition
applicator disposed
downstream of said yarn package that applies said dye composition to said
single yarn member;
(c) an optional first performance enhancing composition applicator disposed
downstream of said
dye composition applicator that applies said first performance enhancing
composition to said
single yarn member; (d) second performance enhancing composition applicator
disposed
downstream of said dye composition applicator that applies said second
performance
enhancing composition to said single yarn member; and (e) a rewind package
disposed
downstream of said performance enhancing composition applicator that receives
a dyed single
yarn member. The dyeing composition can be comprised of acid dye or disperse
dye
ingredients. The optional first performance enhancing composition can comprise
anti-stain
compositions having species having acidic moieties that associate with polymer
amine end
groups and protect them from staining by acidic dye stains. The second
performance
enhancing composition can comprise anti-soil compositions of a high specific
surface energy
chemical or other material, for example a fluorochemical that imparts high
specific surface
energy properties such as high contact angles for water and oil, or even a non-
fluorochemical
particulate material having similar properties. The anti-soil composition can
further comprise an
anti-stain component.
DEFINITIONS
[0022] While mostly familiar to those versed in the art, the following
definitions are provided in
the interest of clarity.
[0023] OWF (On weight of fiber): The amount of chemistry that was applied as a
% of weight
of fiber.
[0024] WPU (Wet pick-up): The amount of water and solvent that was applied on
carpet
before drying off the carpet, expressed as a % of weight of fiber.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] A process for treating single BCF yarn is disclosed comprising
contacting the BCF
yarn with a dye composition while said yarn is in motion and prior to
contacting and rewinding
the yarn into a yarn package or cake. The process can also include contacting
the BCF yarn
with one or more performance enhancing compositions comprising stain blockers
and anti-soil
compositions. The dye composition comprises a dye component and is adapted to
be
continuously applied onto twisted BCF yarn at around 200 to 400 ypm,
preferably, around 300
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ypm. The stain blocker composition comprises an anti-stain component and is
adapted to be
continuously applied onto single BCF yarn at a wet pick-up of 10 to 50%,
preferably 15 to 30%.
The anti-soil composition comprises an anti-soil component and is adapted to
be continuously
applied onto single BCF yarn at a wet pick-up of between about 5 wt.% and
about 50 wt%.,
including between about 10 wt.% and about 30 wt%, about 20 wt.% to about 30
wt.%, and about
wt.% to about 20 wt.%. The single BCF yarn can be optionally heat set after
contacting the
yarn with the dye composition and the one or more performance enhancing
compositions. Heat
setting temperatures can range from about 125 C to about 200 C, including from
about 160 C
to about 195 C. Heat setting dwell times can range from about 0.5 to about 4
minutes, including
from about 0.5 to about 3 minute and from about 0.5 to about 1 minute.
[0026] Dye components for use in the disclosed dye compositions are acid dyes
or disperse
dyes. Acid dye components are well known to those skilled in the art and are
water-soluble
ionic species containing one or more organic chromophore moieties. Acid dyes
are typically
provided in powder form and different acid dyes can be used in combinations to
arrive at a
precisely defined color choice depending on process conditions such as the use
rate of each
selected dye component, the use rate of the one or more acid auxiliaries
employed, and the
residence time of the substrate in the dyeing zone. Examples of suitable acid
dye compositions
are Orange 3G, Red 2B and Blue 4R. Disperse dye components are likewise well
known to
those skilled in the art and are water-insoluble nonionic species containing
one or more organic
chromophore moieties. Disperse dyes are either provided in paste form in
combination with a
dispersing agent or in powder form. Different disperse dyes can be used in
combinations to
arrive at a precisely defined color choice depending on process conditions
such as the use rate
of each selected disperse dye component, the specific dispersing agent or
agents employed,
and the residence time of the substrate in the dyeing zone. Examples of
suitable disperse dye
compositions are Disperse Red 60, Disperse Yellow 86 and Disperse Violet 33.
[0027] Anti-stain components for use in the disclosed stain blocker
compositions have a
component bearing an acidic moiety which associates with polymer amine end
groups and
protects them from staining by acidic dye stains. The general category of
chemicals suitable to
the process of the instant invention can comprise any chemical that blocks
positively charged
dye sites. Stain blockers are available in various forms such as syntans,
sulfonated novolacs,
sulfonated aromatic aldehyde condensation products (SACs) and/or reaction
products of
formaldehyde, phenolics, substituted phenolics, thiophenolics, sulfones,
substituted sulfones,
polymers or copolymers of olefins, branched olefins, cyclic olefins,
sulfonated olefins, acrylates,
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methacrylates, maleic anyhydride, and organosulfonic acids. They are usually
made by
reacting formaldehyde, phenol, polymethacrylic acid, maleic anyhydride, and
sulfonic acid
depending on specific chemistry. Further, the stain blocker is typically water
soluble and
generally penetrates the fiber while the anti-soil, usually a fluorochemical,
is a non-water soluble
dispersion that coats the surface of fiber. More than one stain blocker can be
used in the anti-
stain compositions.
[0028] Examples of stain blockers include, but are not limited to: phenol
formaldehyde
polymers or copolymers such as CEASESTAIN and STAINAWAY (from American
Emulsions
Company, Inc., Dalton, Ga.), MESITOL (from Bayer Corporation, Rock Hill,
N.C.), ERIONAL
(from Ciba Corporation, Greensboro, N.C.), INTRATEX (from Crompton & Knowles
Colors, Inc.,
Charlotte, N.C.), STAINKLEER (from Dyetech, Inc., Dalton, Ga.), LANOSTAIN
(from Lenmar
Chemical Corporation, Dalton, Ga.), and SR-300, SR-400, and SR-500 (from E. I.
du Pont de
Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.); polymers of methacrylic acid such as
the
SCOTCHGARD FX series carpet protectors (from 3M Company, St. Paul Minn.);
sulfonated
fatty acids from Rockland React-Rite, Inc., Rockmart, Ga); and stain resist
chemistries from
ArrowStar LLC, Dalton and Tri-Tex, Canada.
[0029] Anti-soil components for use in the disclosed anti-soil compositions
impart high
specific surface energy properties such as high contact angles for water and
oil (e.g. water and
oil "beads up" on surfaces treated by it). The anti-soil component can
comprise a fluorochemical
dispersion, which dispersion may be predominantly either cationic or anionic,
including those
selected from the group consisting of fluorochemical allophanates,
fluorochemical polyacrylates,
fluorochemical urethanes, fluorochemical carbodiimides, fluorochemical
guanidines, non-
telomeric fluorochemicals, and fluorochennicals incorporating C2 to C8
chemistries.
Alternatively, the fluorochemical can have less than or equal to eight
fluorinated carbons,
including less than or equal to six fluorinated carbons. Example
fluorochemical anti-soil
components include: DuPont TLF 10816 and 10894; Daikin TG 2511, and DuPont
Capstone
RCP. Non-fluorinated anti-soil components can include: silicones,
silsesquioxanes and silane-
modified particulates, organosilane-modified particulates and alkylated
particulates, anionic non-
fluorinated surfactants and anionic hydrotrope non-fluorinated surfactants,
including sulfonates,
sulfates, phosphates and carboxylates. (See U.S. Patent No. 6,824,854, herein
incorporated by
reference). More than one anti-soil components can be used in the anti-soil
compositions.
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[0030] The dye composition is adapted to contact the single BCF yarn while it
is in motion and
prior to contacting the take-up reel or winder. Further, the dye composition
can be at a neutral
pH (e.g. 4 to 9, including 5.5 to 7.5) because the yarn can be optionally heat
set after application
of the composition. The process foregoes the need for harsh low pH chemicals;
deionized water
is suitable for use in the disclosed process.
[0031] The stain blocker composition is adapted to contact the single BCF yarn
while it is in
motion and prior to contacting the take-up reel or winder. Further, the stain
blocker composition
can be at a neutral pH (e.g. 6 to 8) because the yarn can be optionally heat
set after application
of the composition. The process foregoes the need for harsh low pH chemicals.
[0032] The anti-soil composition is adapted to contact the twisted BCF yarn
while it is in
motion and prior to contacting the take-up reel or winder. Further, the anti-
soil composition can
be at a neutral pH (e.g. 6 to 8) because the yarn can be optionally heat set
after application of
the composition. The process foregoes the need for harsh low pH chemicals.
[0033] The contacting can be performed by any suitable device that applies wet
ingredients to
a dry substrate, including, but not limited to: applicator pad, nip rollers,
wet-wick, dip-tank,
sprayer, and mister.
[0034] For example, cotton wicks can be stacked together to form the desired
thickness (e.g.
W ¨ 3") and submersed in the dye bath for transporting dye solution to the
moving yarn at a
constant flow-rate. The wick thickness selection was based on the optimum wick
and yarn
contacting time needed to achieve the desired color depth and color
consistency. A further
option is to use multiple sets of wicking applicator stations. The first
wicking applicator station
applies the primary color onto the yarn and the second wicking applicator
station applies a
second color or performance enhancing chemical onto the yarn. Each wicking
applicator station
can be made up of one or more wicks.
[0035] Another option is to transport dye solution to the yarn using two
rotating rolls covered
with wicks. Here, the yarn passes between the two rotating rolls. Further,
multiple rolls can be
used in series. For example, one roll can apply a first color onto one side of
the moving yarn
and another roll to apply a second color onto the other side of the yarn to
create a unique two
color yarn. Further, two sets of nip rolls can be used. The first set can
apply the primary color
and the second set can apply a second color or performance enhancing chemical
onto the yarn.
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Any combination of the above options can be used to make yarn with multiple
colors, color
depth and with various performance chemicals.
[0036] The wet pick-up of the anti-soil composition is between about 5 wt.%
and about 50
wt.%., including between about 10 wt.% and about 30 wt%, about 20 wt.% to
about 30 wt%,
and about 10 wt.% to about 20 wt.%. The resulting twisted BCF yarn, if a
fluorine based anti-
soil component is used, can have an on weight of fiber from about 100 ppm to
about 1000 ppm
elemental fluorine, including from about 100 to about 500 ppm elemental
fluorine, from about
200 to about 400 ppm, and from about 100 ppm to about 300 ppm elemental
fluorine.
[0037] The wet pick-up of the stain blocker composition is present on weight
of fiber from
about 500 ppm to about 4%, including from about 1000 ppm to about 3%, from
about 0.5% to
about 2%, and from about 0.5% to about 1%. Common stain blockers use
sulfonated moieties
as part of the chemistry, which results in the presence of sulfur on the
treated fiber. The sulfur
content can range from about 50 ppm with 5% stain blocker to about 1 ppm with
0.1% stain
blocker on weight of fiber. Thus, based on the above stain blocker
concentrations, the sulfur
content on weight of fiber will range from about 0.5 ppm to about 40 ppm
elemental sulfur,
including from about 1 ppm to about 30 ppm elemental sulfur, from about 5 ppm
to about 20
ppm elemental sulfur, and from about 5 ppm to about 10 ppm elemental sulfur.
Sulfur content
can be determined by x-ray diffraction or other methods.
[0038] The performance enhancing compositions can further comprise one or more
components selected from the group consisting of: odor control agents, anti-
microbial agents,
anti-fungal agents, fragrance agents, bleach resist agents, softeners, and UV
stabilizers.
[0039] The single BCF yarn can be made from polyamide fibers, such as those
made from
nylon 6,6, nylon 6, nylon 4,6, nylon 6,10, nylon 10,10, nylon 12, its
copolymers, and blends
thereof. Further, the single BCF yarn can also have additional polymer
components, such as
polyester. The additional polymer components can be incorporated with the
polyamide (by
melt-blend or co-polymerization) prior to making a polyamide fiber (e.g. a
polyamide/polyester
fiber), or can be stand-alone fibers that are twisted with the polyamide
fibers to make the twisted
BCF yarn.
[0040] As stated above, the BCF yarn can be manufactured with polyamide and /
or polyester
polymer components. An unexpected benefit of the disclosed process has been
discovered in
that, whereas a small amount of anti-soil composition is applied compared to
known exhaust
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processes, a high anti-soil component content, such as fluorine, is achieved
on the surface of
the yarn. Further, the anti-soil composition applied in the process of the
disclosed invention can
be either fluorochennical or non-fluorochemical based, or a mixture of
fluorochemical or
fluoropolymer material with non-fluorinated soil resistant materials.
[0041] The yarns can be made by acid dyed as well as disperse dyed fibers.
Yarns suitable
for use in the process may further comprise inherent stain resistance, whether
by base
composition as in the case of polyester, or by the inclusion of strong acid
functionality in the
polymer composition of the yarn, as in the case of nylon. Use of a dye
applicator with the
disclosed process eliminates the need for subsequent dyeing and enables the
creation of
colored carpets that improve inventory flexibility, improve color options, are
stain resistant, and
are soil resistant without the need for dyeing and performance enhancing
chemical applications
as practiced under the current state of the art.
[0042] The single BCF yarn made with the various aspects of the disclosed
process, by itself
or blended with non-treated fibers and yarns, can be tufted and manufactured
into carpets or
fabrics.
[0043] The disclosed process can also be advantageously applied in certain
processes where
a styling advantage might be derived from differential dyeing and finishing
after carpet
formation. For example, a soil resistant or stain resistant single yarn of the
disclosed invention
could optionally be tufted into a carpet among untreated yarns prior to
dyeing, thus creating an
aesthetic alternative.
[0044] Further disclosed is a system for applying a dye composition and one or
more
performance enhancing compositions to the single BCF yarn. The system
includes: (a) a yarn
package that transmits a single yarn member; (b) a dye composition applicator
disposed
downstream of said yarn package; (c) an optional first performance enhancing
composition
applicator disposed downstream of said dye composition applicator that applies
said first
performance enhancing composition to said single yarn member; (d) second
performance
enhancing composition applicator disposed downstream of said dye composition
applicator that
applies said second performance enhancing composition to said single yarn
member; and (e) a
rewind package disposed downstream of said performance enhancing composition
applicator
that receives a dyed single yarn member. The single yarn members can be single
filaments or
fibers, or yarns made from a plurality of filaments or fibers. Each applicator
can be any suitable
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device that applies wet ingredients to a dry substrate, including, but not
limited to: applicator
pad, nip rollers, wet-wick, dip-tank, sprayer, and mister.
[0045] in one aspect, a supply package yarn is fed at a line speed of about
300 ypm, passing
through a dye applicator, disposed downstream of the yarn package, which
applies a dye
component to the single yarn. From here, the single and dyed yarn is rewound
into a package.
another aspect of the disclosed process contains both a dye applicator and a
steam heat
treatment. Here, a supply package yarn which is fed at a line speed of about
300 ypm, passes
through a dye applicator, disposed downstream of the yarn package, which
applies a dye
component to the single yarn. From here, the single and dyed yarn pass through
a heat
treatment chamber and is rewound into a package.
[0046] The disclosed process is counterintuitive and surprisingly results in
yarn that contains
acceptable dyed and performance enhancement properties when manufactured into
a carpet or
fabric. One would expect that rearranging the process as described above would
fowl up down-
stream carpet manufacturing processes and lead to poor quality carpet. Thus,
the results
reported below are surprising and unexpected.
EXAMPLES
[0047] The following are examples of carpets made from BCF fibers that have
been treated
according to various aspects of the process disclosed above, and similar
fibers with no
treatment. Selection of alternative dyeing and performance enhancing
components, fibers and
textiles having different surface chemistries will necessitate minor
adjustments to the variables
herein described.
Test Methods
Acid Dye Stain Test.
[0048] Acid dye stain resistance is evaluated using a procedure modified from
the American
Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Method 175-2003, "Stain
Resistance:
Pile Floor Coverings." 9 wt % of aqueous staining solution is prepared,
according to the
manufacturer's directions, by mixing cherry-flavored KOOL-AID powder (Kraft
Foods,
Northfield, IL, a powdered drink mix containing, inter alla, FD&C Red No. 40).
A carpet sample
(4x6-inch) is placed on a flat non-absorbent surface. A hollow plastic 2-inch
(5.1cm) diameter
cup is placed tightly over the carpet sample. Twenty milliliters of the KOOL-
AID staining
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solution is poured into the cup and the solution is allowed to absorb
completely into the carpet
sample. The cup is removed and the stained carpet sample is allowed to sit
undisturbed for 24
hours. Following incubation, the stained sample is rinsed thoroughly under
cold tap water,
excess water is removed by centrifugation, and the sample is dried in air. The
carpet sample
was visually inspected and rated for staining according to the FD&C Red No. 40
Stain Scale
described in AATCC Method 175-2003. Stain resistance is measured using a 1-10
scale. An
undetectable test staining is accorded a value of 10.
Example 1 (Comparative)
[0049] Two 920 denier, 8 dpf, colorless nylon 6,6 BCF yarns were processed on
a Volkmann
twisting machine as described in to form a 5.75 tpi (twist per inch) 2-ply
cable twisted yarn. The
twisting speed was about 7000 rpm (turns per minute) and winding speed was
about 50 meters
per minute. The cable twisted yarn had no color. The cable twisted yarn was
heatset using a
Superba, and converted into cut pile carpet on a 1/8 ga tufting machine to
22/32 inch pile height,
35 oz/sq yard carpet and dyed on a continuous dye line to get medium pie crust
color. This
example was made using the state of art carpet making process with continuous
dyer to add
color to carpet.
Example 2 (Inventive)
[0050] A 1320 denier, 64 filament nylon BCF yarn made from deep acid dyeable
polymer
(Type 417A) was processed on a rewinding machine. Two wicking stations with
1/2" wide, 1"
thick were inserted between the creel and rewinder. Acid dyes (Telon Yellow
4R, 137.2 g/I; Red
2BN, 21.0 g/I; Blue BRL, 34.1 g/1) were used to dye the BCF yarn to dark brown
color. The
winding speed was about 300 yards per minute. The test yarn was converted into
a 1/8 inch
pile height, 12 oz/yd loop pile carpet on a 5/64 gauge machine. The tufted
carpet was treated
with steam for 5 minutes to set the dye. It had a dark brown color (L = 34.24,
a = 9.53, b = 19.94
as measured using the hand held color measurement instrument sold by Minolta
Corporation as
"Chromameter," model CR-210).
Example 3 (Inventive)
[0051] A 997 denier, 115 filament white BCF single yarn made from Nylon 66
cationic dyeable
polymer was processed using a Suessen heatset machine. Three color wicking
stations
arranged in series were inserted between the yarn creel and the Suessen
heatset machine. A
1/2" wide, 1.5" thick cotton wick was used in each station to apply gold color
premet dyes at pH
5.0 (lsolan Yellow NW, 23.0 gram/liter; lsolan Red S-RL, 6 gram/liter; !solan
Black 2S-CP, all by
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Dystar, L.P., Charlotte, NC) onto the moving BCF yarn at 350 ypm. The colored
yarn was
subsequently treated with hot air (200 C) in a Suessen heatset channel. The
dwell time in the
channel was about 60 seconds. The colored and heat treated single yarn was
wound on a tube.
It had a medium gold color (L = 55.4, a = 14.50, b = 30.21 as measured using
the hand held
color measurement instrument sold by Minolta Corporation as "Chromameter,"
model CR-210).
Example 4 (Inventive)
[0052] This example was same as example 3, except a different dye formulation
(lsolan
Yellow NW, 9.6 gram/liter; [Wan Red S-RL, 2.8 gram/liter; lsolan Black 2S-CP
7.7 gram/liter)
was applied to the moving BCF cat dyeable yarn. It had a dark purple color (L
= 32.0, a = 3.89,
b = -2.08 as measured using the hand held color measurement instrument sold by
Minolta
Corporation as "Chromameter," model CR-210).
Example 5 (Inventive)
[0053] This example was same as example 3, except different dye formulation
(Is Ian Yellow
NW, 2.5 gram/liter; lsolan Red S-RL, 1.7 gram/liter; lrglan Blue 3GL, 27.6
gram/liter) was
applied to the moving BCF cationic dyeable yarn. It had a dark avocado color
(L = 40.97, a =
3.59, b = 12.28 as measured using the hand held color measurement instrument
sold by Minolta
Corporation as "Chromameter," model CR-210).
Example 6 (Inventive)
[0054] Yarns produced in examples 3, 4 and 5 were processed on a Volkmann
twisting
machine to form three ply yarn having 4.5 twists per inch. The cable twisted
yarn was
converted into loop pile carpet (1/10 ga. 1/8 inch pile height, 14 stitches
per inch, 20 oz per
square yard). The finished carpet had an attractive multicolor look, good
color fastness and
great stain resistance to acid dyes.
[0055] While there have been described what are presently believed to be the
preferred
embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will realize that
changes and modifications
may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it
is intended to
include all such changes and modifications as fall within the true scope of
the invention.
