PRIMARY CARPET BACKING AND TUFTED CARPET COMPRISING THE SAME
A primary carpet backing having at least a nonwoven layer of fibers, the nonwoven layer of fibers including fibers having a higher melting component and a lower melting component, wherein the fibers are 12 to 20 vol. % of the lower melting component. After tufting, a tufted carpet backing having the primary carpet backing exhibits improved stitch holding performance.
1 . A primary carpet backing comprising a nonwoven layer of fibers, wherein the nonwoven layer of fibers comprises fibers comprising two components, a first melting component and a second melting component that melts at a temperature lower than the first melting component, wherein the fibers are 12 to 20 vol. % of the second melting component.
2 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the fibers are 14 to 18 vol. % of the second melting component.
3 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the nonwoven layer of fibers has a uniform composition throughout the nonwoven layer of fibers.
4 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the fibers are bicomponent fibers.
5 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 4 wherein the bicomponent fibers are core/sheath bicomponent fibers.
6 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 5 wherein the bicomponent fibers consist of a polyester core and a polypropylene sheath.
7 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 5 wherein the bicomponent fibers consist of a polyester core and a polyamide sheath.
8 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 4 any of the preceding claims wherein the primary carpet backing is thermally bonded by means of the second melting component of the bicomponent fibers.
9 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the carpet backing comprises additional layers of fibers selected from a nonwoven layer of fibers, a woven layer of fibers or a scrim.
10 . A tufted carpet comprising the primary carpet backing according to claim 1 .
11 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the fibers are 15 to 17 vol. % of the second melting component.
12 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the fibers are 16 vol. % of the second melting component.
13 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the fibers have a linear density in the range of 1 to 25 dtex.
14 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the fibers are filaments.
15 . The primary carpet backing according to claim 1 wherein the second melting component has a melting temperature at least 5° C. lower than the melting temperature of the first melting component.