WO1993002248A1

WO1993002248A1 - Stain resistant multicolor textured cut pile carpet

Info

Publication number: WO1993002248A1
Application number: PCT/US1992/003073
Authority: WO
Inventors: William G. Jenkins; Roy E. Guess
Original assignee: Burlington Industries, Inc.
Priority date: 1991-07-19
Filing date: 1992-04-15
Publication date: 1993-02-04
Also published as: MX9202349A; US5199958A; EP0597869B1; JPH06509397A; DE69213945D1; EP0597869A4; AU2149892A; EP0597869A1; JP3383665B2

Abstract

Multicolored stain-resistant nylon carpet is prepared by tufting a space dyed cationic-dyeable carpet nylon, dyed with an acid or premetallized dye intermixed and tufted with an acid dyeable nylon and overdyed with an acid dye to selectively dye the acid dyeable fibers but not the already space dyed yarns.

Description

STAIN RESISTANT MULTICOLOR TEXTURED

CUT PILE CARPET

This invention relates to textured, heathered,

multicolored carpet having improved stain resistance, lightfastness and ozone resistance of nylon, especially nylon carpet.

Background of the Invention

Stain resistant nylon carpets enjoy significant market acceptance. Stain resistance is typically imparted to nylon by treating the fiber as a solid filament or in a carpet form by the topical application of a chemical finish as described in the following U.S. patents to Monsanto:

U.S. 4,501,591; 4,592,940; and 4,839,212. The low acid pH necessary to fix this stain resistant finish has the adverse property of greatly altering the shade of the cationic dye which is normally used on this cationic dyeable fiber, precluding its use as a styling factor to obtain multicolor effects in subsequent carpet. However, by using cationic dyeable nylon, which has been previously dyed with acid dyes, in either a solid shade or, preferably, space printed to give multiple short spacings of color, this complication is overcome.

Nylon carpet fiber is generally classified as to type, depending upon its receptivity to acid dyes and basic or cationic dyes. Cationic dyeable nylons contain sufficient SO₃H groups or COOH groups within the polymer structure, which groups are receptive to cationic or basic dyes to render the fiber dyeable to a cationic dye. Acid dyeable nylons are essentially conventional nylons, such as

polyhexamethylene adipamide and polyeaprolactarn. Acid dyeable nylons vary as to type and are characterized as being weakly dyed with acid dyes, average dyed with acid dyes, or deeply dyed with acid dyes.

Cationic dyeable nylons generally exhibit inherent stain resistant properties, especially to acid-type stains, as compared to other nylon types used for carpet. Cationic dyeable nylons are dyeable with selected cationic dyes, but suffer from poorer lightfastness, especially in light shades, than do comparable shades dyed on acid dyeable nylon using monosulfonated or premetalized acid dyes. This has resulted in the under-utilization of cationic dyeable nylon as a carpet fiber. The fiber's inherently useful properties which otherwise make it attractive as a carpet fiber

previously have not been fully realized.

Initial dyeing is accomplished using the space dyeing or intermittent dyeing technique in which the yarn within a given area or space is dyed a particular color, the color and spaces varying throughout the length of the yarn

according to random or predetermined orders.

Dyeing carpet yarn is described in U.S. 4,206,735 which relates to a carpet prepared by space dyeing a polyester or polypropylene yarn then tufting the space dyed yarn with another yarn, undyed and having a susceptibility to a dye to which the polyester or polypropylene space dyeing yarn is not susceptible, followed by dyeing the undyed yarn taking care that the selective dyeability of the undyed yarn does not interfere with the previously space dyed yarn. Tak dyeing is used to provide coloration for the nylon tufts and Tak dyeing is explained in U.S. 4,146,362.

Another type of space dyeing is described in U.S.

4,033,717 to Whitaker in which a continuous filament yarn is knit into a prefabric such as a tube or a sock, selectively dyed in a predetermined pattern using various colors, then deknitted, wound onto cones and heated to develop the color. This is also known as a knit/deknit process. When tufted into a carpet, the tufts of the space dyed yarn are arranged randomly or preferably in predetermined blocks or areas.

Research Disclosure 17913 (March 1979) uses the space dyed yarns of the Whitaker patent, combines them with undyed yarns, then overdyes to a different color to provide a carpet having different color combinations. Space dyed yarns may also be prepared using "resist" techniques to treat the fabric to "resist" the type of dye employed, as described in Jilla, U.S. 3,989,453.

Piece dyeing carpets using carpet pile made from two or more different classes of .yarns, one yarn being susceptible to one type of dyeing and the other class of yarns

susceptible to a different type of dye, is described in U.S. 3,439,999

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides a procedure for preparing stain resistant carpet having an attractive multicolored

appearance. A multicolored carpet is created according to this invention using cationic dyeable nylon yarn, which has been space dyed or printed to multiple colors with premetalized or acid dyes. This multicolored yarn is combined with acid dyeable nylon yarn, tufted into a carpet, then overdyed with an acid dye. The acid dye fixes to the acid dyeable nylon but not the cationic dyeable nylon leaving the multicolored spaced dyed yarn clear and distinct against a contrasting field of solid color yarns. Variations in the colors of the multicolored cationic dyeable nylon yarn, the shade of the background acid dyeable nylon yarn, the relative amounts and positioning of the two types of yarn, their construction into a carpet and other factors all provide styling

variations.

The preferred techniques for dyeing the cationic dyeable nylon yarns include exhaust dyeing, pad/steam dyeing, continuous carpet dyeing and the like. Illustrative examples for dyeing procedures thought to be suited to the process of this invention are:

Pad/Steam - A dye bath is prepared as follows: guar gum (Celcagum V-60) 0.3

antifoam (Sedgekill AO) 0.15

wetting/penetrating agent

(Dyebath SS-75) 0.7

premetalized acid dyestuff %

(pH adjusted to 6.0 with monosodium phosphate) and applied to the cationic dyeable nylon at wet pickup of 90 to 140% based on the weight of the yarn. For proper fixation, the yarn is steamed for 6 to 12 minutes then washed, extracted, treated with a fluorchemical soil

repellant and dried.

Exhaust Dyeing - an aqueous dyebath is prepared containing the required amount of premetalized acid dyestuff, the pH adjusted to 6.0 with monosodium phosphate and, optionally, up to 0.5% Irgasol SW, a weakly cationic complexing agent which retards the strike of the acid dye by complexing with the dye and then slowly releasing the dye to the fiber as the temperature rises, is added. The dyebath temperature, initially at 80°F, is increased at a rate of 2°F per minute to 140°F and held there for 15 minutes, then raised again at 2°F per minute to 208-212°F. Cationic dyeable nylon is then exhaust dyed for 30 to 60 minutes or longer as needed to achieve the desired depth of shade.

Illustrative cationic dyeable nylons include:

Filament:

DuPont Monsanto Allied BASF

"Antron" Type 924 "Ultron" 2360-68-JEJ

"Antron" Type 494 "Anso" Type 7L422 "Antron" Type 754 "Anso" Type 7K53 "Antron" Type 854

"Antron" Type P695

"Antron Luraena"

Type P-807A

Nylon Staple:

"Antron" P-676A "Ultron"-750-JES "Anso" Type 591 "Zeftron" W118S

"Antron" P-683A

"Antron" 543A

"Antron" 547A

An affinity for cationic dyes is usually imparted by the incorporation of a monomer containing sulfonic acid groups. Thus one such modification of a polyamide fiber is obtained by adding a certain amount of sulphoisophthalic acid prior to polymerization.

Premetalized and acid dyes considered suited to the process are selected from the following list:

The following level dyeing acid dyes are thought to work particularly in the light depths but do not build very well as strength is increased:

Page numbers reference AATCC* Buyer's Guideline for the Textile Wet Processing Industry

*American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists

EXAMPLE 1

Cationic dyeable yarn (Antron type 854) knit into a tube was continuously dyed in a laboratory lima pad/steam unit with 100% wet pickup with the indicated premetalized dyes depending upon the shade desired, then steamed for approximately 8 minutes to provide the desired base shade. The base shade-dyed tube was then overprinted using a silk screen process:

Pad baths for the background shade were:

Gray: Irgalan Bordeaux EL .015%

Irgalan Yellow 3RL .015%

Irgalan Blue 3RL .1487%

Light Gold: Irgalan Yellow 3RL .05%

Celcagum V-60 .30%

Dyebath SS-75 .7%

Each pad bath also included Celcagum V-60 (.3%) and Dyebath SS-75 (.7%) and was adjusted to pH 6 with MSP.

Print pastes in 4 shades were prepared from a base of thickener (Lyngum CP-3) 2.35%, penetrant (Tergitol) 1%, an antifoaming agent (Antifoam CK-2) 0.15% and adjusted to pH 6.0 with MSP. Dyes used for the 4 shades were: dark gold: Irgalan Yellow 3RL 1%

bright blue: Irgalan Brilliant Blue 7GS 0.25% burgandy: Irgalan Bordeaux EL 200% 1% green: Irgalan Brilliant Blue 7GS 0.25%

Irgalan Yellow 3RL 0.25% The printed samples were fixed with steam, washed and dried. The print design was satisfactorily fixed to the nylon tube with good crockfastness. This dyed and space printed product offers a styling versatility advantage over solution dyed nylon, in which pigment is extruded with the polymer, by allowing multiple colors on one yarn while maintaining the antistaining advantage inherent in

cationically dyed nylon yarns.

Additionally a skein of "Antron Lumena" P-807A solution pigmented yarn (colored pigment is incorporated into the polymer prior to extrusion into filament form) which also exhibits cationic dyeable properties, was printed with the same dark gold, bright blue and burgundy formulation above. This was followed by fifteen minutes atmospheric steaming at 210°F, washing and drying. The resulting overprint with the premetalized acid dye was judged to have acceptable crock fastness and performance as a product styling tool.

EXAMPLE 2

Three different space dyed ("Duracolor") single yarns (premetalized acid dyes on cationic Dupont type 494A Antron) prepared in the manner of Example 1 were plied with a natural regular acid dyeable type 1608 Monsanto nylon singles yarn. All three yarns were then Superba Frieze heat set to lock in the twist. The three different heatset yarns were then tufted into carpet in an A,B,C needle thread up.

The resulting carpet was then overdyed on the

laboratory Kuster dye range using two different methods:

(A) Wet out with water followed by Kuster flood application of a solid shade acid dye formula . (B) A thin gum layer of 1000-2000 cps viscosity was applied to the tips of the carpet followed by a Kuster flood shade similar to A above.

Dye Formulation:

(A) Wet Out: Water pH 4.0

Flood shade: .17% "Progacyl" D49 DW*

.30% Z-Wet wetting agent

.40% Dyebath ACB

.20% Monosodium Phosphate

Monosulfonated acid dyes pH 4.0; 400% wet pickup

(B) Gum Layer: .85% "Progacyl" D-49 DW*

.25% Antifoam CK-2

.20% MSP (monosodium phosphate)

2.0% Penetrant SDP-2

Kuster Flood: .20% "Progacyl" D-49 DW*

2.0% Formic acid

.30% Penetrant KB

.10% Antifoam CK-2

Monosulfonated acid dyes

* a derivatized guar gum thickener of Rhone-Poulenc

Similar carpets were tufted using different yarns all containing a cationic dyeable nylon space dyed with

premetalized acid or acid dyestuffs plied with a greige regular acid dyeable nylon.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A process of preparing a stain resistant

multicolored carpet comprising the successive steps of:

(a) space dyeing a cationic-dyeable nylon yarn with an acid dye or a premetalized dye at a pH of less than 7.0 and fixing the dye to the fibers, the cationic dyeable nylon yarn dyed into predetermined colors, a

predetermined pattern, or both, to intermittently dye the yarn different colors along the length thereof;

(b) tufting the space dyed yarns of step (a) and an acid dyeable nylon yarn into a carpet; and

(c) dyeing the carpet prepared in step (b) with an acid dye to selectively dye the acid dyeable nylon fibers and not the space dyed cationic dyeable nylon fibers, to produce a multicolored stain resistant carpet.

2. The process of claim 1, in which the cationic dyeable fibers are dyed at a pH from about 4.0 to 6.5.

3. The process of claim 1, in which a premetalized dye is used in step (a).

4. The process of claim 1, in which an acid dye is used in step (a).

5. The process of claim 1, including the additional step of

(d) applying a fluorocarbon soil repellant to the carpet.

6. A multicolored nylon textured cut pile carpet having improved stain resistance composed of space dyed cationic dyeable nylon yarn dyed to two or more different shades with an acid or premetalized dye intermixed and tufted with an acid dyeable nylon dyed to a background shade with an acid dye.