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comment Interface to Recycle Nylon Carpet Fiber into Fiber
Recycling old carpet into new is a major focus of the carpet industry, but most post-consumer recycled carpet currently enters new carpet through carpet tile backing, a heavy composite material. Pure nylon face fiber is usually virgin material, and Shaw Industries has so far been the only carpet manufacturer to claim the ability to recycle old nylon fiber into new. Shaw does this with a depolymerization process for nylon 6 that is coming online this year, after several false starts under other ownership, at its Evergreen plant.
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Although taking a different approach than Shaw, Interface, in partnership with fiber manufacturer Universal Fibers, claims that it has a manufacturing process that will put post-consumer nylon 6 fiber into InterfaceFLOR’s commercial carpet tiles, reclaiming nylon fiber from old broadloom and carpet tile.
Relying on patent-pending technology developed in Italy, the process uses mechanical separation of face fiber from backing and remelting of nylon fiber, according to John Bradford, vice president for research and development at Interface. The remelt process contrasts with depolymerization, which Interface argues is much more energy-intensive. “Remelt is the process we’ve targeted for some time because it’s the lowest footprint and lowest energy,” said Bradford.
Bradford was unwilling to divulge the details of how the nylon recycling process works. However, an international patent application filed in 2001 by Frank Levy, one of the developers of Interface’s technology, describes a mechanical process using high-temperature steam to open the carpet and fiber material. It also describes multiple steps to clean the fibers; apply fire retardants, biocides, and anti-static fluids; and blend fibers. After the polypropylene and latex carpet backing is separated from the carpet fiber, it will be reclaimed and sold to product manufacturers who don’t require highly pure resin, according to Bradford.
The technology is currently in its second trial run, Bradford explained, and the factory equipment to undertake full-scale production at Interface’s facility in LaGrange, Georgia, will arrive from overseas in July 2007. The capacity of the process will be 20 to 30 million pounds per year, said Bradford, although that output includes mixing in virgin nylon, so only an unspecified portion—likely a small fraction—will be recycled content. “This year we’re getting our feet under us,” he said, noting that the technology will become a platform for Interface. “It’ll start out in one product and will grow throughout the other products.”
Fiber expert Perry Lin of Perry Lin Consulting, who has observed these developments without direct involvement, said, “this is really nothing new—it simply hasn’t been attractive before.” As Bradford noted, the high cost of oil makes the technology more attractive, although he said it is still somewhat more expensive than making virgin fiber, due to energy and process costs. However, recycled content has become more important to carpet buyers, especially in states such as California with recycled-content purchasing requirements. “If you have a carpet that doesn’t have post-consumer recycled content in it, you almost can’t sell it,” says Lin, referring to California.
For more information:
John Bradford
Vice President for Research and Development
InterfaceFLOR, LLC
Atlanta, Georgia
770-437-6800
www.interfaceflor.com
This article was produced by BuildingGreen, Inc.- www.buildinggreen.com
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