JP2003511156A - Liquid impervious, water vapor permeable carpet underlay - Google Patents

Abstract

  (57) [Summary] A liquid impervious and water vapor permeable carpet underlay comprising a composite of a fibrous substrate and a film affixed to the substrate is disclosed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Water resistant carpet underlayments provide a means to more thoroughly clean spills on the carpet by helping to contain the spill on padding or floorboards. If the spillage is not removed from under the carpet, the spillage will propagate mold, mold discoloration, and bacteria. As a result, not only is the padding and wood flooring degraded, but such conditions aid in the formation of odors and allergens. Detecting and preventing permeation of padding following spillage is generally not feasible for large carpets or carpets covering the entire floor, so carpets covering the entire floor or wall-to-wall carpets The spills on the top cannot be alert.
Spills on broad-weave carpet material often stain the padding or flooring and cannot be removed by cleaning. The spillage then accelerates the development of mold, mold discoloration and odor.

Murphy, US Pat. Nos. 5,601,910 and 5,763,04.
No. 0 described a method of chemically treating the underlayment with a repellent finish to render it substantially impermeable to spills. Careful selection of both the water repellent finish and the adhesive adhered the underlayment to the underside of the carpet to form a barrier that was substantially impermeable to spills.

The prior art also describes water impermeable carpet materials constructed using sheets of plastic such as polyethylene and poly (ethylene / vinyl acetate) laminated to the carpet. However, such backings are expensive, cause manufacturing difficulties, and interfere with the desired breathability (air permeability) of the carpet. Therefore, mold growth and discoloration due to mold are not prevented.

After a spill, the homeowner thinks it's okay, but perhaps upset and puts a paper towel or other absorbent material over the spill and sucks the spill very slowly. Rather, they often trample or otherwise exert excessive force downwards. Trampling on the spill or on the absorbent material laid over the spill can force liquid through the water repellent underlay of the prior art. Non-breathable thermoplastic films, such as poly (ethylene), are sufficiently impermeable to withstand the added weight of homeowners, while underlays such as fluorocarbon-treated non-woven fabrics do not weigh too much. Moisture is passed through when applied.

It would be beneficial to be able to make an improved underlayment material that would maintain water impermeability even when traversing over the absorbent material laid over the spillage to absorb the spillage. It is also desirable that the underlayment be air permeable so that mold and moisture causing mold discoloration cannot be trapped beneath it. The present invention provides an improved underlayment that is liquid impermeable while maintaining vapor permeability.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention is a carpet underlay, and a fibrous base material having a first flat surface and a second flat surface on the opposite side and a first surface of the base material. An underlayment comprising a composite with at least one film attached, said underlayment being liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable.

The present invention further provides an underlay of a carpet, a fibrous base material, an optional control layer attached to the base material, and a bonding layer attached to the control layer or the base material. And a water vapor permeable film attached to the bonding layer, wherein the underlayment is liquid impermeable and includes a differential water vapor permeable underlay.

The invention further relates to a tufted pile carpet, comprising: a) a main backing having a surface tufted with pile yarns and a back surface coated with latex;
b) any minor backing having a front surface and a back surface, the minor backing having the surface of the minor backing adhered to the back surface of the major backing; and c) the major or minor backing. A carpet comprising the underlayment of the invention described above, which is adjacent to or attached to the material.

The present invention is also a carpet cushion made of a material that provides elasticity, support, or noise reduction, on the opposite side having a first plane and a second plane. Includes a carpet cushion having the underlayment of the invention described above adjoining or affixed to one.

The invention further provides a method of rendering a carpet or carpet cushion liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable, wherein the underlayment of the invention is adjacent to the back surface of the carpet or carpet cushion, or , Including pasting and placing.

(Detailed Description of the Invention) The present invention is a carpet underlay, and a fibrous base material having a first flat surface and a second flat surface on the opposite side, and a first surface of the base material. A composite with at least one film affixed to the substrate, the underlay being indicative of being liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable. The film is formed from a polymeric material that is impermeable to liquids but readily allows water vapor to pass through. Important attributes of the carpet underlayment or impermeable barrier provided by the present invention are: (1) keeps the underlying carpet pad or floor dry even under a wide range of spillage and cleaning techniques. And (2) the ability to prevent retention of water trapped under the barrier by rapidly evaporating it.

[0012] The term "breathable liquid impermeable underlayment" refers to a fibrous material applied to a film made of a polymeric material that is impermeable to liquids but allows water vapor to easily permeate thereafter. Used to refer to a composite that includes a substrate.

The term “breathable” means 100 g / m ² / m as measured by Test Method 2 described below.
Shows the rate of water vapor transport over a day.

The terms “permeable”, “vapor permeable”, “air permeable” are used interchangeably herein with “breathable”.

The term “impermeable” means evaluated as “dry” under the conditions of Test Method 1 described below.

Carpet and Rug Laboratory (The Ca, located in Dalton, Georgia)
The term "carpet cushion," as defined by the rpet and Rug Institute (CRI), refers to any type of material under a carpet that provides resilience, support, or noise reduction when walking on it. Do (C
RI 105 “Residential Carpet Installation Standard” (“Residential C
arpet Installation Standard ")).

The term “padding” or “pad” is considered synonymous with “carpet cushion”.

[0018]   Trademarks and trade names are indicated herein by capitalization.

The present invention provides a water vapor permeability comprising a fibrous substrate and at least one film,
A liquid impermeable composite is provided. The composite is a laminated or coated product, free of pinholes or pores. As used herein, pinhole means a small hole that is accidentally formed in the film, while pores mean:
By small holes intentionally formed to increase porosity to air, moisture, vapors, or liquids.

The component of the fibrous substrate of the breathable liquid impermeable underlayment is a woven or non-woven cloth or web, preferably a light non-woven fabric, such as polyester, polyolefin, polyamide, poly (trimethylene). Terephthalate), synthetic fiber, natural fiber,
It is selected from the group consisting of bicomponent fibers, cellulosic fibers, wool, cotton, acrylics, jutes, and their copolymers and blends. The word "cellulose"
By cellulose-based fibrous products made from wood or other plants. Composite fibers include fibers made from two types of polymers, blends of polymer fibers with natural or synthetic fibers, and blends of natural fibers with synthetic fibers. Suitable non-woven materials include spunbonded webs, scrims, carded webs, flash spun webs, non-woven sheets composed of blends of polymer fibers. The fibrous base material is polyester spunlace (s
An underlay which is a pun-laced non-woven fabric is preferred.

Particularly preferred is a non-woven fabric such as SONTARA, a spunlaced non-woven fabric available from E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, Del. SONTARA is a spunlaced fabric formed by the hydroentangling process in which short fibers are entangled through a "hydraulic needling" to form a strong woven-like structure. SONT
ARA is a combination of fibers and / or wood pulp intertwined in a predetermined repeating pattern, forming a strong structure without binder, and 1 pound per inch of cloth width for each 1 ounce per square yard (each g / g). 5.3 per 1 cm width of cloth for m ²
It has a tensile strength exceeding g). The production of SONTARA is described in US Pat.
97,074 and 3,485,706.

The film component of the breathable liquid impermeable underlayment is a polymer film that is free of any solid voids and pores and that allows water molecules to readily diffuse. The film is liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable. Generally it is a thermoplastic or thermoset polymeric material that can be painted or extruded or laminated. Suitable polymers include vulcanized silicone rubbers, silicone polymers, polyurethanes, polyetheresters, polyetheramides, polyurethaneesters, polyurethaneethers, polyvinyl alcohols, and their copolymers and blends. Particularly preferred is a film of HYTREL, a butylene / poly (alkylene ether) phthalate copolymer available from EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, DE.

A film composition, wherein (a) the film has a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a different water vapor permeable polymer composition, or (B) Those whose films are composed of either one hydrophilic layer and one hydrophobic layer are suitable for use in the present invention. Such films having a composite structure are described in US Pat. No. 4,725,481. By using a composite film in which a hydrophilic layer and a hydrophobic layer are adhered to each other, it is possible to differentially move water vapor and prevent accumulation of water. This is because its composite film is ASTM E-96-96 (Procedure-BW).
Has a separation ratio for water vapor of at least about 1.2. This separation ratio for water vapor is determined by the ASTM method as the value of the water vapor transmission rate measured in the hydrophilic layer of the film in contact with the water surface divided by the value of the water vapor transmission rate measured in the hydrophobic layer of the film in contact with the water surface. It is described by. The film is
Usually, water vapor has a higher water vapor transmission rate as it travels in the direction of the hydrophilic layer of the film and then through the hydrophobic layer. Therefore, in the underlay of the present invention,
Placing the hydrophilic layer of the film in contact with the floor or padding results in a reduction in water vapor accumulation between the underlayment and the floor or padding due to a higher rate of permeation through the hydrophilic layer to the hydrophobic layer. The water vapor transmission rate of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers can be controlled by the thickness of the layer and the chemical composition of the layer.

A second embodiment of the present invention is a breathable liquid-impermeable underlay, comprising a fibrous base material, an optional control layer attached to the base material, and the control layer or the base material. A bonding layer attached to the material, and a composite of a water vapor permeable film attached to the bonding layer, the underlayment shows impermeable to liquid, and,
It includes an underlayment that exhibits differential permeability to water vapor. In this embodiment, the optional control layer is located between the fibrous substrate and the bonding layer. This control layer acts as a vapor control layer. Preferably, this optional control layer is a polymer that can reduce the water vapor transmission rate of the composite. The control layer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene or copolymers thereof. In this embodiment, the bonding layer is between the fibrous substrate or any control layer and the water vapor impermeable film. This bonding layer is
It functions to improve adhesion to fibrous substrates. This tie layer can integrate the fibrous substrate or control layer with the film layer and form a strong bond with both. It also works in combination with a water vapor impermeable film to allow the composite to exhibit differential permeability. The tie layer can also include additional additives known in the art. Preferably, the tie layer is a copolymer of ethylene comonomer units and vinyl acetate comonomer units. The structure of such control layer, bonding layer, and water vapor permeable layer is described in US patent application Ser.
No. 8,786 (Docket No. AD-6649-P1).

The composite of the second embodiment can exhibit differential permeability. The permeation rate of water vapor in one direction through the layers of the composite is greater than that in the opposite direction. The water vapor transmission rate in the direction away from the film layer and the bonding layer toward the fibrous base material layer is greater than the water vapor transmission rate in the direction away from the base material layer toward the bonding layer and the film layer. The water vapor transmission rate of each layer depends primarily on the chemical composition of the layer and the thickness of the layer. These factors can be adjusted to optimize performance.

The composite of the present invention is made by a lamination technique or a coating technique. The film is laminated to the fibrous substrate by sufficient amount to provide liquid impermeability and a moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of at least 100 g / m ² / day by any of a variety of methods known to those skilled in the art. To be coated. Such methods include the use of adhesives (adhesive lamination), thermal bonding (thermal lamination), press bonding, ultrasonic bonding, dynamic mechanical bonding,
And extrusion coating, or any other suitable attachment means or combination of these attachment means.

Extrusion and melt coating of polymeric resins on nonwovens or other substrates is well known. The method generally involves heating the polymer to a temperature above its melting point and extruding it through a flat die onto a substrate passing through a curtain of molten polymer to achieve adhesion. The step of applying pressure to the coated substrate and then cooling. This extrusion melt coating method is widely used because it can economically produce a laminated structure in a one-step procedure.

Conveniently, the formation of the laminate structure of the present invention is accomplished by co-extruding each layer, optionally including a control layer, onto a substrate, which is a multi-orifice for each layer. Co-extruded simultaneously through the separate orifices of the die and then joining the layers that are still molten, or, preferably, in a conduit where each molten polymer stream leads to the manifold of the die. Either by co-extrusion of one channel first bonded and then coextruded together onto the substrate under conditions that result in unmixed laminar flow from the die orifice.

Conventional laminating techniques may also be used, for example preformed film layers and preformed joining layers, or preformed film layers, preformed joining layers and preformed layers. The control layer and the substrate can be laminated by using the laminations first, simultaneously with the laminations, or by casting. Generally, such lamination techniques involve thermal lamination of each layer on a hot roll calendering device, where the temperature used to bond the layers to the substrate is one or more. It is sufficient to achieve melting or softening of the layers, and sufficient pressure will cause the layers to become bonded.

Preferably, the method is an extrusion coating method, wherein the tie layer is co-extruded with said film layer or, if a control layer is included, the control layer, the tie layer and the film layer are shared together. It is a method of extrusion molding. The minimum film thickness can be less than 1 mil (25 μm). The water vapor permeable film is substantially free of pinholes or pores. Extrusion coating of a thin film on a fibrous substrate is the preferred manufacturing technique.

The breathable liquid impermeable underlayment of the present invention may be used alone, underneath an overlaid carpet but not attached thereto, or under an overlaid carpet and under it. It is used by attaching it to the padding, under the carpet laid on it, or by attaching it to the padding, or by using any combination thereof.

The breathable liquid impermeable underlayments of the present invention have improved liquid impermeable properties, especially liquids under pressure, such as water, hot and cold beverages, oils, detergent solutions, and alcohols. It is impermeable to liquids. For example, films of HYTREL laminated to SONTARA nonwoven provide better liquid impermeability than SONTARA treated with water repellent while maintaining high water vapor transfer rates. The fibrous substrate provides strength and dimensional stability at a lower cost than the same strength HYTREL film alone, which provides liquid impermeability. The breathable liquid impermeable underlayment is laid with the film layer up or down, preferably the film up. This breathable liquid impermeable underlay is not attached to the carpet or is attached to the carpet by any conventional method that does not require puncturing the underlay, or
Or it can be attached to the padding and laid under the carpet.

The present invention is further a tufted pile carpet, comprising: a) a main backing having a tufted surface with pile yarns and a backside coated with latex; and b) an optional backing. A sub-lining of claim 2, wherein the surface of the sub-lining is adhered to the back of the main backing, and c) a carpet comprising the underlayment of the invention described above.

The underlay of the present invention described above is laid under the carpet or, optionally, attached to the back of the carpet by an adhesive applied to the upper surface of the underlay. Alternatively, the underlayment is adhesively treated on both sides to attach it to both the underside and padding of the carpet. Such an attachment will prevent the underlayment from moving when laying the carpet, and will prevent any movement due to the passage of people, etc., after the installation is complete, but the imperviousness of the barrier requires attachment. Not.

The present invention is also a carpet cushion made of a material that provides elasticity, support, or noise reduction, on the opposite side having a first plane and a second plane. Including a carpet cushion having an underlayment of the invention described above that is adjacent to or attached to one of the two. Conventional attachment techniques are used to optionally attach the underlayment to either surface of the cushion.

The invention further provides a method of rendering a carpet or carpet cushion liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable, wherein the underlayment of the invention is adjacent to a surface of the carpet or carpet cushion, or A method including the step of pasting and placing.

The underlayment of the present invention is useful for providing an impermeable barrier between a carpet and a carpet cushion, a carpet and a floor, or a carpet cushion and a floor. Therefore, floor and carpet cushions remain dry under extensive spillage and cleaning techniques. The underlay also prevents any trapped water from being retained by evaporation. This prevents damage to the carpet cushion and floor and prevents mold and discoloration by mold.

(Test Method) Test Method 1. Water Impermeable A 5 layer test stack was made as follows. (1) A sample of residential carpet material with water permeable latex is placed on (2) an underlayment sample, which is then (3) placed on a white absorbent paper towel, the paper towel being (4)
It was placed on top of the rebond carpet padding and the padding was placed on a sheet of (5) wood particle board.

The paper towels used were from Kimberley-Clark (Ki, Dallas, Texas).
A single paper towel available from the company Mmberly-Clark). The choice of paper towel is not critical, as the test does not require any visible wetting of the towel, and Whatman No. Other thin absorbent media such as 1 filter paper can be substituted. Colored aqueous solutions can be used to aid visual detection. Then 100 ml of water was slowly poured at room temperature of 24 ± 3 ° C. (75 ± 5 ° F.) onto the carpet sample through a cylinder of about 8 cm in diameter from a height of about 1 m to form a circular puddle. The cylinder was removed and the sample was allowed to sit for 20 minutes. For 0 psi (0 kPa, ie spill only test), the carpet and underlay were removed. If any water spots were found on the towel (labeled "wet" in the results), the underlayment was rejected for providing sufficient water impermeability to water spills. . If the paper towel between the padding and the carpet was dry (labeled "dry" in the results), the underlay was judged to pass and provided sufficient water impermeability to water spills. Alternatively, the carpet pile was "sucked" onto a dry paper towel at a given pressure. After 10 "blots" at a given pressure, the carpet and underlay were removed. If any water spots are found on the towel, the underlayment is considered a failure (or "wet") and water impermeability is sufficient for water spills and subsequent blotting at a given pressure. Did not provide sex. The paper towel between the padding and the carpet is
If it was "ry", the underlayment was determined to have provided sufficient water impermeability for water spillage and subsequent wicking at a given pressure. 0, 3, 8, 1
Suction pressures of 6 and 33 psi (0, 21, 55, 110, and 227 kPa) were used. The blotting pressure of 33 psi or 228 kPa exceeds the pressure exerted by a typical homeowner by standing on a paper towel to facilitate the blotting of spills. No higher wicking pressure was tested after a "wet" or fail rating (labeled "X" in Table 1). The suction pressure was generated by placing a weight on the disc as follows.

[0040]

[Table 1]

Test method 2. Water Vapor Transfer Rate The Water Vapor Transfer Rate (MVTR) is an "upward cup" arrangement with saturated steam at the top, and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard ASTM E96.
It is measured according to the method described in -92.

Examples All carpet samples in the following examples were purchased commercially from Carpets of Dalton, Dalton, GA. The sources of other materials are listed after Table 1.

Examples 1, 2 and 3 HYTREL 4778 was fed to a 1.5 inch diameter extruder connected to a melt mixing block, heated to about 225 ° C and extruded at 25 rpm. did. The molten HYTREL 4778 was then passed through a die connected to a mixing block with a 35 inch (89 cm) wide die block heated to about 225 ° C. Upon exiting the die, a film having a thickness of 1 mil (25 μm) was formed. The film emerging from the die was applied to a lightweight scrim nonwoven of spunbonded polyethylene terephthalate (SONTARA 8000) as a substrate. The underlayment was tested according to Test Methods 1 and 2 with the following carpet: 1) 28 oz / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) Barber level loop polypropylene carpet, 2) 42 oz / yd ² (1425 g
/ M ² ) Nylon cut pile carpet, 3) 65oz / yd ² (2200g
/ M ² ) Nylon cut pile carpet. The results are shown in Table 1 as Example 1, Example 2 and Example 3, respectively.

Examples 4, 5 and 6 HYTREL 8206 was placed in a 1.5 inch diameter extruder connected to the melt mixing block. HYTREL 4778 was placed in a 1 inch (2.5 cm) diameter extruder, which was also connected to the same melt mixing block. HYTREL 8206 was heated to about 225 ° C. and co-extruded at 20 rpm into a melt mixing block connected to an extruder, HYTREL 47.
78 was coextruded at about 225 ° C and at 10 rpm into a melt mixing block connected to the extruder. The coextruded layers were mixed in the melt block. The layer is then heated to about 225 ° C, 35 inches (89 cm).
The die was connected to a mixing block with a die block of width. Upon exiting the die, a bonded composite film with a combined thickness of 1 mil (25 μm) was formed. HYTREL 8206 is 0.8 mil (20 μm)
HYTREL 4778 was 0.2 mils (5 μm) thick. HYTR the composite form coming out of the die into a lightweight scrim non-woven fabric of spunbonded polyethylene terephthalate (SONTARA 8000) as a base material.
EL 8206 was applied so that it was in contact with the scrim cloth. The underlayment was tested according to Test Methods 1 and 2 with the following carpet: 1) 28 oz / yd ² (9
50g / m ² ) Barber level loop polypropylene carpet, 2) 4
2oz / yd ² (1425g / m ² ) nylon cut pile carpet, 3) 6
A cut pile carpet made of 5 oz / yd ² (2200 g / m ² ) nylon. The results are shown in Table 1 as Example 4, Example 5 and Example 6, respectively.

Examples 7, 8 and 9 These extrusion coated fabrics except that the rpm of the polymer extruder and die thickness resulted in a film thickness of 0.6 mils (15 μm). Was prepared according to the method in Example 4. Using the carpet below,
Tested according to test methods 1 and 2: 1) 28 oz / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) barber level loop polypropylene carpet, 2) 42 oz / yd ² (
1425g / m ² ) Nylon cut pile carpet, 3) 65oz / yd ² (
2200g / m ² ) Nylon cut pile carpet. The results are shown in Table 1 as Example 7, Example 8 and Example 9, respectively.

Examples 10, 11 and 12 These extrusion coated fabrics were made according to the method in Example 1 except that the fabric substrate was SONTARA 8004. The underlayment was tested according to Test Methods 1 and 2 with the following carpet: 1) 28 oz / yd ² (950
g / m ² ) Barber level loop polypropylene carpet, 2) 42o
z / yd ² (1425 g / m ² ) nylon cut pile carpet, 3) 65o
z / yd ² (2200 g / m ² ) nylon cut pile carpet. The results are shown in Table 1 as Example 10, Example 11 and Example 12, respectively.

Examples 13, 14 and 15 These extrusion coated fabrics were prepared using HYTR instead of HYTREL 4778.
Produced according to the method in Example 1 except that EL blend P18-3892 was used and the non-woven fabric was pasted with the HDK powder adhesive as the fabric base material. The underlayment was tested according to Test Methods 1 and 2 with the following carpet: 1) 28o
z / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) barber level loop polypropylene carpet, 2) 42 oz / yd ² (1425 g / m ² ) nylon cut pile carpet, 3) 65 oz / yd ² (2200 g / m ² ) nylon Cut pile carpet. The results are shown in Table 1 as Example 13, Example 14 and Example 15, respectively.

Example 16 KC MICROCOLO laminated non-woven fabric (listed in footnotes in Table 1 below) was used as an underlay as purchased and with 28 oz / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) barber level loop polypropylene carpet. Were tested according to Test Methods 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 1.

Examples 17 and 18 The polyether-ester block copolymer HYTREL G4778 was dried and fed to the extruder hopper. A 1.5 inch diameter extruder connected to a 14 inch (35.6 cm) coat hanger die block was heated to 220 ° C. The molten polymer was extruded at 20 rpm. The film formed by the die was transferred between the nip roll and the casting roll at 0.
9oz / yd ² (31g / m ² ) spunbonded polyester (SBPET)
It was deposited on a non-woven fabric. The temperature of the nip roll and casting roll is 2
It was 8 ° C. The nip roll pressure was 80 psi (550 kPa). The film thickness was controlled by the coating line speed. A sample of Example 17 having a film thickness of 0.8 mil (20 μm) is 60 per minute.
Manufactured at a line speed of feet (18.3 meters per minute). The line speed for the sample of Example 18 was 42 feet per minute (12.8 meters per minute) resulting in a film thickness of 1.0 mil (25 μm). The underlay was rubbed with 28 oz / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) barber according to Test Methods 1 and 2.
Tested with level loop polypropylene carpet. The results are shown in Table 1.

Examples 19 and 20 HYTREL G4778 (polyether-ester block copolymer) was dried and fed to the extruder hopper. A 1.5 inch diameter extruder connected to a 14 inch (35.6 cm) coat hanger die block was heated to 220 ° C. The molten polymer was extruded at 20 rpm. The film formed by the die is placed between the nip roll and the casting roll in 0
． 5oz / yd ² (17g / m ² ) spunbonded polyester (SBPET)
) Deposited on non-woven fabric. The temperature of the nip roll and the casting roll was 28 ° C. The nip roll pressure was 80 psi (550 kPa).
The film thickness was controlled by the coating line speed. Example 1
Line speed for sample 9 is 1.0 mil (25 μm) film thickness 1
42 feet per minute (12.8 meters per minute). A sample of Example 20 having a film thickness of 0.8 mil (20 μm) is 60 per minute.
Manufactured at a line speed of feet (18.3 meters per minute). The underlayment was tested using 28 oz / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) barber level loop polypropylene carpet according to Test Methods 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 1.

Examples 21 and 22 HYTREL G4778 (polyether-ester block copolymer) and BYNEL 50E631 (anhydride-modified polypropylene resin) are dried to give H
The weight ratio of YTREL 87% and BYNEL 13% was fed to the extruder hopper.
A 1.5 inch diameter extruder connected to a 14 inch (35.6 cm) coat hanger die block was heated to 220 ° C. The molten polymer was extruded at 20 rpm. The film formed by the die was deposited on 0.5 oz / yd ² (17 g / m ² ) spunbonded polyester (SBPET) nonwoven between the nip roll and casting roll. Example 2
For samples 1 and 22, the nip roll temperature was 80 ° C and the casting roll temperature was 40 ° C. The nip roll pressure was 80 psi (550 kPa). The film thickness was controlled by the coating line speed. The line speed for the sample of Example 22 was 42 feet per minute (12.8 meters per minute) resulting in a film thickness of 1.0 mil (25 μm). 0.
The sample of Example 21 having a film thickness of 8 mils (20 μm) was made at a line speed of 60 feet per minute (18.3 meters per minute). The underlayment was tested using 28 oz / yd ² (950 g / m ² ) barber level loop polypropylene carpet according to Test Methods 1 and 2. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0052]

[Table 2]

[0053]

[Table 3]

(A) SONTARA 8000 and 8004 are 1.2 and 1.
6 oz / yd ² (41 and 54 g / m ² ) spunlace polyester non-woven fabric from E. I. DuPont de Nemours and Wilmington, Del.
Available from the company.

SONTARA 8827 is a ² oz / yd ² (68 g / m ² ) spunlace non-woven fabric having a composition of 55% / 45% weight percent wood pulp / polyester, E-I-Dupont, Wilmington, DE. Available from De Nemours & Company.

HDK is a polyester non-woven fabric laminated with a powder adhesive of 1 oz / yd ² (34 g / m ² ). D. K. It is available from Industries, Inc. (HDK Industries Inc.).

HYTREL 4778 has a melting point of 208 ° C., a Vicat softening temperature of 175 ° C., 4
HYTREL 4778, a thermoplastic elastomer of polyetherester copolymer having a Shore hardness of 7D and a water absorption of 2.3%, is EI DuPont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del. Available from.

HYTREL 8206 has a melting point of 200 ° C., a Vicat softening temperature of 151 ° C., 4
A thermoplastic elastomer of polyetherester copolymer having a Shore hardness of 5D and a water absorption of 30%, manufactured by E.I. of Wilmington, Del.
Available from DuPont de Nemours & Company.

The HYTREL blend is DuPont HYTREL film blend No. P1
8-3892, Clopay Coop, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Corp. ).

HYTREL CO-EX refers to extrusion coating a first layer of 80% by weight HYTREL 8206 onto a fabric followed by a second layer of 20% by weight HYTREL 4778.

TYVEK Home Wrap is a 1.8 oz / yd ² (61 g / m ² ) spunbonded olefin nonwoven available from EI DuPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE. .

W / H House Wrap is CHOICE WRAP House Wrap from Weirhauser, Inc. and is made by Weirhauser, Inc. of Tacoma, WA.

OC House Wrap is a PINKWRAP House Wrap from Owens Corning and is from Owens Corning of Toledo, Ohio.

Spunbonded polyester (SBPET) is 0.9 oz / yd ² (31
g / m ² ), a non-woven fabric having a continuous mass of
Available from American Non-woven.

Spunbonded polypropylene (SBPP) has 0.5 oz / yd ² (17
g / m ² ), a non-woven fabric with an ATE of Gainesville, Georgia.
Available from Company X.

HYTREL G4778 is a thermoplastic polyester elastomer made from polyetherester block copolymers and is manufactured by Ei DuPont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del.

BYNEL 50E631 is a polypropylene resin modified with an acid anhydride,
Manufactured by Ei DuPont de Nemours & Company of Wilmington, Delaware.

KC MICROCOL is a laminated non-woven fabric available from Kimberley-Clark, Inc. of Irving, Texas that incorporates calcium carbonate into a polypropylene film before the two outer layers of spunbonded polypropylene and thermal bond lamination. Subsequently, it is considered to have a three-layer structure with a central layer of a microporous polypropylene film produced by longitudinally stretching it into a microporous film. Although "microporous", the KC MICROCOLO fabric acted as a breathable liquid impermeable underlayment and passed the requirements of Test Methods 1 and 2, as shown in Example 1 of Table 1.

(B) According to Test Method 1 (c) Water Vapor Transmission Rate According to Test Method 2 (d) SONTARA 8827 is pretreated with the indicated amount of cloth protective emulsion described in US Pat. No. 5,344,903. did. The emulsion contained acrylic and methacrylic fluorochemical ester copolymers from E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Del.

The results in Table 1 show that the breathable liquid-impermeable underlayment of the example of the present invention was 100 g / m ^2.
It has been shown to provide sufficient MVTR greater than 1 / day while still providing liquid water impermeability even at the highest suction pressure used. The comparative examples either failed the blotting test or acted as an undesirable water vapor barrier in the case of an impermeable thermoplastic film such as comparative example C.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (81) Designated countries EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, I T, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE), AU, CA, J P (72) Inventor James Thomas Summers             United States 37075 F, Tennessee             Anderson Hillview Drive 1066 (72) Inventor Prentice Lee Huffins             United States 37138 Oh, Tennessee             Field Hickory Fields Dry             Bou 114 F-term (reference) 3B120 AA02 AA05 AA14 BA15 BA28                       BA36 EA17 EB01 EB11 EB22                       EB25                 4F055 AA13 BA12 CA14 DA08 EA04                       EA24 EA36 FA24 GA18 GA36

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An underlay of a carpet, the fibrous base material having a first flat surface and a second flat surface on the opposite side, and at least 1 attached to the first surface of the base material.
An underlay comprising a composite of two films, the underlay being liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable. 2. An optional control layer adhered to the base material, a bonding layer adhered to the control layer or the base material, and a film adhered to the bonding layer. The underlay of claim 1, wherein the underlay is liquid impermeable and differentially permeable to water vapor. 3. The film has a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a different water vapor permeable polymer composition, one layer of which is hydrophilic and 1 Underlay according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two layers are hydrophobic. 4. The fibrous base material is polyester, poly (trimethylene terephthalate), polyolefin, polyamide, synthetic fiber, natural fiber, composite fiber,
A woven or non-woven fabric or web selected from the group consisting of cellulosic fibers, wool, cotton, acrylics, jute, and copolymers and blends thereof. Underlay. 5. The film from the group consisting of vulcanized silicone rubber, silicone polymers, polyurethanes, polyetheresters, polyetheramides, polyurethaneesters, polyurethaneethers, polyvinyl alcohols, and copolymers and blends thereof. The underlay according to claim 1 or 2, which is selected. 6. The underlay according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fibrous substrate is a polyester spunlace nonwoven fabric, and the film is a butylene / poly (alkylene ether) phthalate copolymer. . 7. The underlay according to claim 1, wherein the underlay has a minimum water vapor transmission rate of 100 g / m ² per day. 8. The control layer is a polymer capable of reducing the water vapor transmission rate of the composite, and the control layer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene or copolymers or blends thereof, The underlay according to claim 2, wherein the bonding layer is a copolymer of ethylene comonomer units and vinyl acetate comonomer units. 9. A tufted pile carpet comprising: a) a main backing having a tufted surface with pile yarns and a backside coated with latex; and b) any sub-backings having front and back sides. A secondary backing having a surface of the secondary backing adhered to a back surface of the primary backing; and c) a primary backing or adjacent to or attached to the secondary backing. The underlayment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carpet is provided. 10. A carpet cushion made of a material that provides elasticity, support, or noise reduction, on opposite sides having a first plane and a second plane, adjacent the first side. A carpet cushion having the underlayment according to claim 1 which is attached or attached. 11. A method of rendering a carpet or carpet cushion liquid impermeable and water vapor permeable, wherein the underlay of claim 1 or 2 is adjacent to the back surface of said carpet or said carpet cushion, or A method comprising pasting and placing.