by AF 0330 h3 — April 3, 2009—Barriers to truly sustainable solutions abound. So when a technology comes along that breaks those barriers, manufacturers pay attention. And now, one of the limitations to producing recyclable carpet has been addressed with HYPOD Polyolefin Dispersions from The Dow Chemical Company.
Many advances to make carpet recyclable have been achieved over the years, but providing a recyclable backing material has been a significant challenge, explains Dow. HYPOD Polyolefin Dispersions take carpet sustainability to the next level in multiple applications including modular carpet, broadloom, thermo-moldable products and artificial turf allowing carpet manufacturers to apply a thermoplastic backing, rather than a thermoset backing, while still using conventional coating equipment.
Unlike many traditional carpet backing technologies, HYPOD Polyolefin Dispersions are thermoplastic which tends to be more compatible with carpet fibers and can facilitate easier recycling at the end of the carpet’s life.
In many commercial broadloom applications, HYPOD Polyolefin Dispersions require about 20 percent less material per unit of carpeting, facilitates easier recycling, has excellent physical properties and provides differentiation in the marketplace, according to Todd Crook, global marketing manager, Dow Flooring. “Introducing olefinic performance benefits into a traditional latex application not only enhances the performance of the carpet backing, but also gives our customers additional design flexibility as they develop new carpet systems,” he said.
For more information, see the Dow Web site.
