New technology to produce post-consumer nylon 6,6 fibre

Universal Fibers recently announced that they have developed state of the art technology that will allow them to produce the first ever post-consumer nylon 6,6 fibre from recycled carpeting. The technology breakthrough means that more discarded carpet can be diverted from landfills each year, while providing high quality carpet for the commercial market. “The ability to now reprocess post-consumer nylon 6,6 carpet fibre and produce high quality product is a milestone for the flooring industry and the environment,” said Universal Fiber’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Bill Goodman. According to Goodman, until now, no economically viable method for reprocessing post-consumer nylon 6,6 carpet fibre into new high-quality nylon 6,6 products has been available. This advancement works in cooperation with new technology developed by Inter-faceFLOR, a leading commercial carpet tile manufacturer. The technology separates carpet face fibre from backing in a way that preserves the materials in a form suitablefor recycling. InterfaceFLOR can reclaim all types of carpet from both commercial and residential markets, reducing the demand on landfills and cutting reliance on virgin materials. The above photo shows the Universal Fibers production line in Bristol, England.