Patent Issued for Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Compositions, Fibers And Articles Produced Therefrom, And Methods For Producing Same (USPTO 10,920,071)

2021 FEB 26 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Columbia Insurance Company (Omaha, Nebraska, United States) has been issued patent number 10,920,071, according to news reporting originating out of Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx editors.

The patent’s inventors are Booth, Hubert J. (Dalton, GA); Bradley, Christopher Eric (Evans, GA); Johnson, Daniel Ray (Edisto Beach, SC); Keen, Jr., James Henry (Dalton, GA).

This patent was filed on November 19, 2018 and was published online on March 1, 2021.

From the background information supplied by the inventors, news correspondents obtained the following quote: “Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins exhibit toughness, clarity, good barrier properties, lightweight, design flexibility, chemical resistance, and good shelf-life performance. Consequently, PET is widely used in the packaging industry, for example, in manufacturing of beverage bottles. Further, PET is environmentally friendly, since it can be recycled.

“Conventional recycling processes for post-consumer PET (PCPET), however, typically fail to provide materials satisfactory for extrusion into fiber, for example, bulked continuous filament (BCF), especially compared to virgin PET (VPET). For example, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) provided by conventional recycling techniques can exhibit unsatisfactory streaking when used in carpet applications and can break during processing steps.

“Therefore, there remains a need for methods and compositions that overcome these deficiencies and that effectively provide recycled polyethylene terphthalate compositions, fibers, and articles.”

Supplementing the background information on this patent, NewsRx reporters also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In accordance with the purpose(s) of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention, in one aspect, relates to recycled polyetheylene terphthalate compositions, fibers and articles produced therefrom, and methods for producing same.

“Disclosed are extruded polymer compositions comprising polyethylene terephthalate present as up to about 100% curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are polymer mixtures comprising polyethylene terephthalate present as up to about 100% homogeneous curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are fibers extruded from polyethylene terephthalate present as up to about 100% curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are Bulked Continuous Filament extruded fibers comprising a polymer composition of polyethylene terephthalate present as up to about 100% curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are Bulked Continuous Filament fibers extruded from a polymer composition comprising polyethylene terephthalate present as up to about 100% curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate by weight and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are processes for preparing recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions comprising the step of blending curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate to homogeneity prior to mixing with virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“Also disclosed are processes for preparing recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions comprising the step of mixing homogeneous curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate with virgin polyethylene terephthalate prior to extrusion of the mixture.

“Also disclosed are processes for preparing a recycled polyethylene terephthalate composition comprising the step of extruding a mixture of homogeneous curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate and virgin polyethylene terephthalate

“Also disclosed are processes for preparing recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions comprising the step of blending curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate to homogeneity prior to extrusion.

“Also disclosed are processes for preparing recycled polyethylene terephthalate compositions comprising the steps of blending curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate to homogeneity; optionally, crystallizing the homogeneous curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate; drying the homogeneous curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate; mixing the homogeneous curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate with virgin polyethylene terephthalate; and extruding the mixture.

“Also disclosed are the products of the disclosed processes.

“While aspects of the present invention can be described and claimed in a particular statutory class, such as the system statutory class, this is for convenience only and one of skill in the art will understand that each aspect of the present invention can be described and claimed in any statutory class. Unless otherwise expressly stated, it is in no way intended that any method or aspect set forth herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a specific order. Accordingly, where a method claim does not specifically state in the claims or descriptions that the steps are to be limited to a specific order, it is no way intended that an order be inferred, in any respect. This holds for any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including matters of logic with respect to arrangement of steps or operational flow, plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation, or the number or type of aspects described in the specification.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. An extruded polymer composition consisting essentially of polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has greater than 10% by weight to about 100% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or a homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogenized curbside polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“2. The extruded polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has at least about 25% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

“3. The extruded polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has at least about 50% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

“4. A polymer mixture consisting essentially of polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has greater than 10% by weight to about 100% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or a homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogenized curbside polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“5. The polymer mixture of claim 4, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has at least about 25% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

“6. The polymer mixture of claim 4, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has at least about 50% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

“7. A carpet comprising a fiber consisting essentially of polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has greater than 10% by weight to about 100% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or a homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, and balance virgin polyethylene terephthalate, wherein the homogenized curbside polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate comprises at least one impurity not present in virgin polyethylene terephthalate.

“8. The carpet of claim 7, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has at least about 25% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

“9. The carpet of claim 7, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate polymer composition has at least about 50% by weight of homogenized curbside post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate.

“10. The carpet of claim 7, wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 25 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 150 ppm, or a combination thereof.

“11. The carpet of claim 7, wherein the homogenized curbside polyethylene terephthalate, or homogenized curbside post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate, or the homogenized blend of curbside post-consumer and post-industrial polyethylene terephthalate exhibits a bulk density of 20-27 lb/ft.sup.3, a moisture content of less than 1.0%, and a pressure rise of less than 75 psi/lb.

“12. The extruded polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 25 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 150 ppm, or a combination thereof.

“13. The polymer mixture of claim 4, wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 25 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 150 ppm, or a combination thereof.

“14. A fiber comprising the extruded polymer composition of claim 1.

“15. The fiber of claim 14, wherein the fiber is a bulk continuous filament (BCF).

“16. The fiber of claim 14, wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 15 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 50 ppm, or a combination thereof.

“17. A fiber comprising the polymer mixture of claim 4.

“18. The fiber of claim 17, wherein the fiber is a bulk continuous filament (BCF).

“19. The fiber of claim 17, wherein the at least one impurity comprises floatable contamination in an amount less than 15 ppm, PVC contamination in an amount less than 50 ppm, or a combination thereof.”

For the URL and additional information on this patent, see: Booth, Hubert J.; Bradley, Christopher Eric; Johnson, Daniel Ray; Keen, Jr., James Henry. Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate Compositions, Fibers And Articles Produced Therefrom, And Methods For Producing Same. U.S. Patent Number 10,920,071, filed November 19, 2018, and published online on March 1, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,920,071.PN.&OS=PN/10,920,071RS=PN/10,920,071

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