Abstract: A molded article such as a floor tile is made from recycled carpet waste which includes a polyvinyl chloride component in the backing material and fiber component having a melting point above the melting point of polyvinyl chloride. A mixture of the recycled carpet material is shredded and additional polyvinyl chloride is fed to an extruder where the polyvinyl chloride is melted without melting the carpet fibers. The resulting mixture is discharged and molded, such as by injection molding, to form a molded product. The molded product includes a continuous matrix of polyvinyl chloride having recycled carpet fibers uniformly dispersed therein. The molded article contains about 45% to about 85% of polyvinyl chloride, about 5% to about 20% of recycled carpet fibers, up to about 5% of a plasticizer and up to about 5% of an ethylene copolymer by weight based on the total weight of the product.

Abstract: A polymeric interlocking tile for an adhesive-free assemblage with adjacent tiles having substantially similar, but inverted, edge interlocks thereon. The interlocks on each edge of a tile include a row of first and second sets of male-female types of alternating interlocks. The first interlock set includes a male lug projection having sidewalls forming one sidewall of a channel of U-shaped cross-section. The channel forms a female interlock cavity for the first set. The second interlock set is contiguous to the first set and includes a male projecting rib having two parallel sidewalls, one sidewall faces the edge and forms an opposite sidewall of the channel and an opposite, inwardly facing sidewall forms an enclosure for a second female cavity of the next set. At the opposite ends of each interlock row, the U-shaped channel sidewalls are wider to facilitate an initial interlock meshing between contiguous tiles of the assemblage.

Abstract: A molded article such as a floor tile is made from recycled carpet waste which includes a polyvinyl chloride component in the backing material and fiber component having a melting point above the melting point of polyvinyl chloride. A mixture of the recycled carpet material is shredded and additional polyvinyl chloride is fed to an extruder where the polyvinyl chloride is melted without melting the carpet fibers. The resulting mixture is discharged and molded, such as by injection molding, to form a molded product. The molded product includes a continuous matrix of polyvinyl chloride having recycled carpet fibers uniformly dispersed therein. The molded article contains about 45% to about 85% of polyvinyl chloride, about 5% to about 20% of recycled carpet fibers, up to about 5% of a plasticizer and up to about 5% of an ethylene copolymer by weight based on the total weight of the product.

Abstract: A molded article such as a floor tile is made from recycled carpet waste which includes a polyvinyl chloride component in the backing material and fiber component having a melting point above the melting point of polyvinyl chloride. A mixture of the recycled carpet material is shredded and additional polyvinyl chloride is fed to an extruder where the polyvinyl chloride is melted without melting the carpet fibers. The resulting mixture is discharged and molded, such as by injection molding, to form a molded product. The molded product includes a continuous matrix of polyvinyl chloride having recycled carpet fibers uniformly dispersed therein. The molded article contains about 45% to about 85% of polyvinyl chloride, about 5% to about 20% of recycled carpet fibers, up to about 5% of a plasticizer and up to about 5% of an ethylene copolymer by weight based on the total weight of the product.

Abstract: A polymeric landscaping structure, for uses such as retaining walls and landscape edging, that may be co-aligned without an exposed end. The structure has a U-shaped exterior with exterior end walls. The U-shaped exterior forms a cavity in which an interior wall is disposed such that when the structure is cut to a predetermined length, the interior wall will be exposed and form an exterior end wall. The structure has premolded bores which can be co-aligned for various lengths of structures required for multi-structure installations.