Carpet backing polymers & recycling methods

Styrene-butadiene (SB) latex is currently the main binder used for carpet backing in broadloom applications. It provides excellent adhesion, dimensional stability, and resistance to wear and tear. However, the industry is evolving, and there’s a growing interest in more sustainable alternatives.

For the production of Carpet tiles for example, the majority of binders for the fiber adhesion is already VAE. As most carpet tile manufacturers often have more requirements to need, such as extremely low VOC emissions.

Vinyl Acetate Ethylene (VAE) copolymers are emerging as a promising alternative. They offer similar performance properties and have the added benefits of low odor, low emissions, and better environmental sustainability3. As the industry continues to focus on sustainability, it’s possible that VAE technology could become more widely adopted in the future.

Recycling

Recycling is a complex topic. There are several recycling methods suggested for the carpet industry, such as

• Monomaterials where the carpet as single component can be mechanical recycled
• Use recycled materials, such as PolyAmide from wasted fishing nets.
• Seperation of the carpet in original components, such as Fiber, backing and filler.

It’s hard to predict which method will become the mainstream. There is a promising carpet recycling method coming up from VAE polymers, where the carpets can be easily separated into original pure components like fiber, filler and binder. The pure fibers can be mechanical or chemical recycled after the separation process.