PCC® - Post consumer Carpet Processing Technologies®, LLC
In 2007 Frank J. Levy and Sergio Dell’Orco joined forces to create new technology that separates oil-based nylon from the polypropylene backing of used carpets. This was never done properly before. As partners in PCC® they recently developed a new system for the processing of the post consumer carpets that is patented and allows the clean separation of the carpet yarn from the carpet backing. The removed carpet yarn can be used again to produce new yarns. The nylon also can be transformed into pellets for the plastic moulding industry. The polypropylene can be used for moulding and insulation products.
PCC® has a licensing agreement with Interface, Inc., one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers. Their division, Interface Americas, ReEntry 2.0 is Interface’s closed-loop process that recycles all types of carpet yarns and carpet backing using PCC® technology.
NEW as of 2013
FiberOff holds new patented technology that removes
100 percent of nylon or polyester upper fibers from the backing, called U's. FiberOff technology also cleans the U's
and separates the nylon part from the polypropylene backing.
Patents
Feb. 7, 2012 CARPET RECLAMING SYSTEM # US 8,110,131 B1
Jun. 28, 2012 CARPET RECLAMATION SYSTEM # US 2012/0161368 A1
July. 19, 2012 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING CARPET FIBERS # US 2012/081361 A1
Dec. 27, 2012 APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR SEPARATING CARPET FIBERS #US 2012/0325947 A1
Dec. 27, 2012 APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR SEPARATING CARPET FIBERS # US 2012/0325943 A1
Jan. 29, 2013 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECYCLING CARPETS # 8,360, 348 B2
July. 11, 2013 APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR SEPARATING CARPET FIBERS # 2013/0175377 A1
Dec. 3, 2013 METHOD AND SEPARATION FOR RECYCLING CARPETS # US 8,596,563 B2
Nylon fibers (photo by Michael Molinoff)
Polypropylene Fibers (photo by Michael Molinoff)
Ray Anderson, CEO, Interface, in his book "Confessions of a Radical Industiralist"
“…there was still no good way to clearly separate all that valuable nylon face fiber from the backing, and if you could not separate it cleanly and efficiently, neither could you recycle it in a closed loop (back to itself).”
“…Sergio Dell’Orco had years of experience designing all kinds of machinery for turning old cloths, mill waste and fabric scraps into new blankets, automobile door panels, hood liners and dashboards…There's no one who could tell him what he couldn’t do. Dell’Orco and Frank Levy invented a machine with a technology that could cleanly separate old carpets into their original plastic components…”
