REMOVABLE AND RECYCLABLE/REUSABLE VINYL TILE AND METHOD OF USING SAME

Description

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is directed to a removable and recyclable/reusable vinyl tile, and more particularly, to a vinyl tile that can be removed from a subfloor without take-up of adhesive, and recycled or reused.

Vinyl tile or planks have become a standard for new buildings and remodeling. Gone are the days when vinyl tile had limited appeal and aesthetics, was generally laid down in 12 inch by 12 inch squares and had poor wear. Today's vinyl tile, some of which is colloquially referred to as luxury vinyl tile (LVT), can have an appearance and aesthetic as good as natural wood or stone, a consistent look and feel, is available in an extremely wide variety of colors and patterns, wears extremely well, and is made of generally readily available materials.

While LVT has made it possible to obtain flooring that appeals to almost any aesthetic, there are drawbacks.

For example, the forthcoming newly revised European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and the European Green Deal may require construction products to be designed in such a way that they can be recycled or re-used at the end of their installed life. Many markets for LVT are glue-down markets. The disadvantage with this system is that if the end user wishes to replace the tiles, the removed tiles are not easy to re-use because when uplifted, they are usually damaged or distorted and contaminated with adhesive and levelling compound/screed from the subfloor. Further, contamination of the tile makes recycling difficult as well, as the contaminants are not easily removed and can adversely affect the recycling process.

There are other types of tiles, however, each of these has drawbacks as well. For example, peel and stick tiles have been on the market for many years. However, these tiles are prone to the adhesive being ‘blinded’ by picking up dust from the subfloor during installation, which reduces bond strength. While such tiles may be repositionable during installation, at the end of installed life they retain a layer of adhesive on the backing, and as such the tiles are prone to contamination and adhesion of dust, and are difficult to handle, thereby rendering them more difficult to re-use. Indeed, the dust and contamination may significantly reduce or prevent adhesion.

In another type of LVT installation, a levelling compound is first applied to a subfloor, and a polypropylene mesh is laid out on the dried levelling compound. A wet set adhesive is applied to the mesh before the floor tiles are applied. At the end of product life, the floor tiles can be uplifted free of adhesive residue on their underside. The adhesive/mesh composite is scored and peeled clean away from the levelling compound which is left in a good state for the process to be repeated with fresh mesh/adhesive/tiles. However, significant disadvantages are that the tiles are not reusable as they will distort during uplift, and the adhesive and mesh must be disposed of at the end of product life as non-recyclable waste.

In still another known system, a self-adhesive sheet is positioned between the subfloor and the floor covering. The adhesive strength is different on the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet. A significant disadvantage is that the system may not prevent thermal expansion and contraction of the floor covering during installed use. And like other systems, at the end of product life, once uplifted, the floor covering remains bonded to the adhesive sheet which must be disposed of along with the floor covering. The presence of adhesive between the sheet and the floor tile may limit the ability to recycle the floor covering.

Accordingly, there is a need for a flooring system that provides an alternative to glue-down systems. Desirably, the tiles of such a system are readily reused or recycled at end of life. More desirably still, in such a system there is little to no adhesive remaining on the underside of the tile or plank at uplift to permit reuse or recycling following uplift. Still more desirably, in such a system, the tile can be uplifted without distorting it, such that it is suited for subsequent reuse.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In an aspect, a recyclable and reusable tile includes at least three layers, a stability layer, a design layer, and a wear layer. The tile defines an upper surface and a lower surface. The stability layer includes a glass or glass-based reinforcement, and the tile has a flexural modulus in a range of about 1000 MPa to about 3000 MPa. In embodiments, the flexural modulus is in a range of about 1500 MPa to about 1700 MPa, and preferably about 1600 MPa. In embodiments, the tile is a vinyl tile. The stability layer can be, for example, a PVC-based material.

In embodiments, the tile includes a backing. The backing can be a PVC-based material or a non-PVC-based material. The PVC-based backing can have a surface roughness (Ra) less than about 5 μm, and preferably less than about 2 μm.

The backing can be a non-PVC based material. Suitable non-PVC-based materials include, but are not limited to, one or a combination of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), olefin copolymers, rubbers, and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

In embodiments, the stability layer includes a glass fleece material. The stability layer can further include a filler.

In embodiments, the tile includes at least four layers, and includes a stability layer, a design layer, a wear layer, and a surface layer. The design layer can be printed on the stability layer. The stability layer can be formed having a partial cellular structure.

In another aspect, a combination of a recyclable and reusable tile, and an adhesive, includes the recyclable and reusable tile that has at least three layers, a stability layer, a design layer, and a wear layer. The tile defines an upper surface and a lower surface, and the stability layer includes a glass or glass-based reinforcement. In embodiments, such a tile has a flexural modulus in a range of about 1000 MPa to about 3000 MPa, and the stability layer is a PVC-based material and includes a glass fleece material.

The adhesive is a low tack adhesive. The adhesive can be, for example, an acrylic copolymer based material. The acrylic copolymer based material can have a low glass transition temperature. The adhesive can be a moisture resistant polymeric material. Suitable adhesives can include pressure-sensitive adhesives.

In embodiments, the flexural modulus of the tile is in a range of about 1500 MPa to about 1700 MPa and preferably about 1600 MPa.

The tile can include a backing. The backing can be a PVC-based material or a non-PVC-based material. The PVC-based material backing has surface roughness (Ra) less than about 5 μm, and preferably less than about 2 μm.

In tiles having the non-PVC based backing material, suitable non-PVC-based materials include one or a combination of polyethylene, polypropylene, olefin copolymers, rubbers, and ethylene vinyl acetate.

In still another aspect, a method of installing a recyclable and reusable vinyl tile surface on an associated subfloor includes providing a tile having at least three layers, a stability layer, a design layer, and a wear layer, the tile defining an upper surface and a lower surface, the stability layer includes glass fleece reinforcement material, and the tile having a flexural modulus in a range of about 1000 MPa to about 3000 MPa, applying a low tack adhesive to the associate subfloor, and applying the tile to the adhesive.

In some methods, the adhesive is applied in a nonconformal application. Such a nonconformal coating provides channels between areas of adhesive.

Still other methods include removing the tile from the subfloor and, upon removal of the tile from the subfloor, less than about five percent of the adhesive remains on the tile. Preferably, less than about 1 percent of the adhesive remains on the tile. The tile can be reapplied to another associated subfloor or recycled.

The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are examples only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The benefits and advantages of the present embodiments will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a removable and recyclable/reusable vinyl tile;

FIG. 2 depicts the edge of a trowel edge used in one application of the adhesive for the removable and recyclable/reusable vinyl tile; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a nonconformal coating on a subfloor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described presently preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification and is not intended to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments illustrated.

In an aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a luxury vinyl tile or plank 10 (collectively referred to as “tile” or “LVT”) system, and a system for installing the tile that permits the tiles 10 to be readily removed from a subfloor S without warping or distorting the tile 10, and can be recycled or reused in that the adhesive 12 used to adhere the tile 10 separates from the tile 10 when the tile 10 is removed (pulled up or uplifted) from the subfloor S.

The LVT system includes a tile or plank 10 and an adhesive 12. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a tile 10. The illustrated tile 10 is a multi-layered construction and includes a lower or stability layer 14, a design layer 16, a wear layer 18, and a surface layer 20. In embodiments, the tile 10 is stiffer than a standard glue-down type tile so that it does not distort when uplifted and can be re-used, but is not as stiff as standard ‘rigid core’ floors which have no drape at all and may not lie flat if the subfloor S itself is not totally flat.

In some embodiments, the tiles 10 can be polyvinylchloride (PVC) backed or PVC-based material backed tiles. Other embodiments are non-PVC or non-PVC-based material backed tiles. The backings or undersurfaces 22 of non-PVC backed tiles can be foamed or unfoamed, and can be crosslinked or uncrosslinked. Suitable backing materials include but are not limited to polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), olefin copolymers, rubbers, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and the like. Preferably such a backing does not form a strong nor permanent bond to the tackifier used. Roughness of the backing for the non-PVC backed tiles is less significant in that the backing 22 material can be selected to reduce adhesion of the tackifier. Desired roughness for the PVC or PVC-based material backed tiles is discussed in more detail below.

A present tile 10 is also sufficiently stiff to prevent ‘grin through’ of adhesive, which is exhibited when, in standard flexible vinyl flooring installations, features of the application adhesive may be visible when the surface of the installed floor is viewed under certain lighting conditions.

In embodiments, stiffness is provided by at least the stability layer 14. The stability layer 14 can, for example, include a glass mesh/fleece layer, a fiberglass reinforced layer, or the like that helps the tile 10 to lay flat and level, and increases dimensional stability and mechanical strength. The stability layer 14 confers resistance to thermal expansion/contraction during installed use. The stability layer 14 can be a partial cellular structure to, for example, reduce the weight of the tile 10 and to provide increased cushioning/impact resistance and acoustic properties over a solid layer structure, such as a subfloor S. It will be appreciated that systems that use reinforcements in the nature of chopped glass fibers or glass nets may not confer the dimensional stability necessary to prevent tile contraction when room or ambient temperatures drop. As such, a preferred stability layer 14 includes an integral reinforcement such as glass fleece. Foaming the stability layer 14 (e.g., creating a partial cellular structure) is optional and may reduce the overall density of the tile 10. It is anticipated that in embodiments, a desired flexural modulus (E_f) of the tile 10 is in a range of about 1000-3000 Megapascals (MPa), preferably about 1500-1700 MPa and more preferably, about 1600 MPa.

Table 1 below shows typical flexural modulus (E_f) ranges for flexible, semirigid, and rigid tiles. As can be seen, the present tile falls at about the semirigid range, although it can fall below the semirigid range and into the flexible range while still maintaining its dimensional stability, and demonstrates the increased stiffness of the present tile over standard LVT designed for gluedown.

Table 2, below illustrates the flexural modulus of common flooring products.

Also unlike known glue-down type tiles, the present tile 10 can have a smooth or relatively smooth bottom surface or backing 22, and particularly, PVC or PVC-based material backing 22. Known tiles have a textured back to increase the surface area of the adhered tile surface to the subfloor. In contrast, the smooth or relatively smooth backing 22 of the present tile 10, and in particular the smooth backing 22 of the PVC or PVC-based material backed tiles 10, reduces the surface area of the adhered surface of the present tile 10, which facilitates removal of tile 10 without the adhesive 12 remaining on the tile back surface 22. It is anticipated that in embodiments, a desired surface roughness of the PVC or PVC-base material backed tiles 10 is less than about 5 micrometer (μm) and preferably less than about 2 μm. Table 3 below illustrates the surface roughness of common flooring products.

In Table 3, above, Ra is the arithmetic mean of the absolute departures of the roughness profile from a mean line, Rz is the maximum peak to valley height of the profile within the sampling length, Sa is the difference in height of each point compared to the arithmetic mean of the surface, and Sz is the sum of the largest peak height value and the largest pit depth value within the defined area. It is to be understood that the surface roughness of the non-PVC or non-PVC-based material backed tiles is less relevant than it is for the PVC or PVC-based material backed tiles as the backing materials for the non-PVC or non-PVC-based material backed tile can be selected so as to influence clean separation of the tackifier from the tile upon uplift.

It will be also appreciated by those skilled in the art that using a conventional, non-reinforced vinyl tile designed for standard glue-down (which tiles do not usually contain a tile reinforcement) would likely lead to gaps forming between tiles during episodes of abnormally low room temperature or ‘tenting’ during periods of high room temperature. This is due to pressure sensitive adhesive systems suffering from lower shear resistance. Gapping and tenting can be reduced or alleviated by the dimensional stability of the present tile 10.

In the illustrated example tile 10, adjacent and above the stability layer is the design layer 16. In embodiments the design layer 16 is a high definition photographic layer. This layer 16 provides the aesthetic foundation for the tile 10. Such a design layer 16 can include a wide variety of colors/tones, patterns, and the like to the tile 10. It is also anticipated that in embodiments, the design layer 16 can be digitally printed, and can be digitally printed directly onto the layer below, for example the design layer 16 may be digitally printed directly onto the stability layer 14.

In embodiments, a wear layer 18 is adjacent the design layer 16. In an embodiment, the wear layer 18 is a polyvinylchloride (PVC) or like layer. The PVC layer 18 can be a clear layer and can be embossed to further the aesthetics and texture of the tile 10.

The tile 10 can also include a surface layer 20. The surface layer 20 can be a protective layer, such as a polyurethane (PU), or PU/acrylic layer to provide a hygienic and durable surface feature for the tile 10. Such a protective surface layer 20 can also provide protection from prolonged exposure to the sun, ultraviolet exposure and the like. In embodiments, it is anticipated that a single layer encompassing the wear layer 18 and the surface layer 20 may be used. In such an embodiment, the single wear/surface layer (18/20) can be, for example, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer, a polypropylene (PP) layer, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer or the like.

In a current example tile 10, the composition of the tile 10 is as follows:

In an embodiment, the PU surface layer 20 coating is about 15 g/m², the wear layer 18 is about 360 g/m² (noting that the wear layer can vary in thickness according to the end application), the design layer 16 is about 70 g/m², and the stability layer 14 is about 6100 g/m² (noting that the overall thickness of the tile 10 can vary according to choice).

As noted above, embodiments of the tile 10 can include a number of layers (although four are shown, the tile 10 can include more or less layers), at least one of which includes the reinforced stability layer 14 to minimize temperature effects on the tile 10. That is, the stability layer 14 will minimize the lateral (i.e., in a plane of the subfloor S) expansion and contraction of the tile 10 during normal room/location temperature fluctuations.

In a current system, the adhesive system 12 is referred to as a tackifier adhesive or tackifier, and is part of the family of pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs). Such a tackifier/adhesive 12 is typically a blend of soft, i.e., low glass transition temperature (Tg) acrylic copolymers with some harder copolymers (higher Tg). PSAs are used as they provide freestanding releasable properties and they remain permanently tacky, rather than dry/cure to a hard surface. A preferred adhesive 12 is a moisture resistant polymer. Such an adhesive 12 holds the tile 10 securely in position during installed life.

Characteristics of a suitable tackifier include a viscosity of about 80 cP (centipoise) to about 9000 cP, and preferably about 3000 cP to about 9000 cP, and a solids content of about 45 percent by weight.

One example of a suitable tackifier has the following formulation:

On the one hand, when the viscosity of the tackifier is too high, it can be difficult for the installer to spread the tackifier and it can also increase the drying time (as the surface area of the applied adhesive is low). On the other hand, if the viscosity of the tackifier is too low, the tackifier may spread out thereby forming a conformal layer after application. It will be appreciated that for many such tackifiers, time for a milky white adhesive to appear transparent is the ideal point to apply the tiles onto the tackifier.

A preferred tackifier has a peel strength of less than about 1.0 N/mm and preferably less than about 0.5 N/mm to reduce the opportunity for distortion upon uplift. Such a tackifier also has a shear strength of greater than about 0.3 N/mm² to limit lateral expansion/contraction of the tile during changes in room temperature. The peel and shear strength and dimensional stability for floor covering products covered by ISO 10581 and 10582 are measured in accordance with ISO 22636:2020, Adhesives for Floor Coverings—Requirements for Mechanical and Electrical Performance, which provides that for PVC floor coverings, the acceptable peel strength is greater than or equal to 1 N/mm, acceptable shear strength is greater than or equal to 0.3 N/mm² and dimensional change (longitudinally and transversely) is less than or equal to 0.2 percent.

To facilitate readily removing the tile 10 from the subfloor S (which may be a leveling compound), the adhesive's 12 releasable qualities are such that the adhesive 12 remains entirely or substantially entirely on the subfloor S (e.g., leveling compound) and not on the underside 22 of the tile 10 when the tile 10 is uplifted. Such an adhesive/tackifier 12 remains permanently tacky, and is of sufficiently low tack such that release of tile 10 at end of product life occurs without causing any distortion or loss of squareness to the uplifted tile 10. This permits reuse of the tile 10 if, or as, desired.

A preferred adhesive/tackifier 12, when remaining on the subfloor S (e.g., leveling compound), should be capable of being either over-coated with a levelling compound to provide a clean surface to receive a new application of adhesive and new floor covering or easy to remove by, for example, scraping without significant damage to the subfloor S (e.g., leveling compound). Further, such an adhesive/tackifier 12 has a higher adhesive strength to the subfloor S (e.g., leveling compound) rather than to the underside 22 of the tile 10.

In installation of the tile 10, the application of adhesive 12 is reduced (relative to known installation methods) to reduce the area of adhesive 12 in contact with the tile 10. This reduces the likelihood of a fully conformal coating or film of the adhesive 12 to or on the tile 10; that is, it is likely that the adhesive 12 does not fully coat the bottom surface or underside 22 of the tile. In such an application/installation less residual adhesive 12 remains on the underside 22 of the tile 10 at uplift. In a preferred installation, the subfloor S (e.g., leveling compound) is selected such that is has high cohesive strength so that it remains intact when the tile 10 is uplifted at end of life.

To reduce the amount of adhesive 12 that is used to adhere the tile 10 to the subfloor S (e.g., leveling compound), that is to lay the tile 10, a trowel 30 having a high notch width as indicated at 32 can be used. One suitable notch blade end is illustrated in FIG. 2. The high notch width 32 functions as a scraper and yields farther spacing between lines 34 of adhesive (see adhesive 12 in FIG. 3). One suitable trowel has a V-shaped notch with the V formed at 60 degrees, having a depth of about 1.5 mm and a spacing between each notch of about 5 mm. Another suitable trowel, also having a V-shaped notch with the V formed at 60 degrees, has a depth of about 2.0 mm and a spacing between each notch of about 6 mm. Other suitable trowels can include notches of different depths and spacings.

In addition, in a preferred installation, a reasonably hard levelling compound (which is applied prior to installation of the tile 10) should be used so that it does not break up or fracture when the tile 10 is uplifted. In such a levelling compound the cohesive strength of the levelling compound exceeds the adhesive force between the adhesive 12 and the levelling compound, so that the levelling compound remains intact following tile 10 uplift. In an embodiment, a preferred leveling compound has a compression strength of at least about 30 N/mm² after 28 days. In any event, the compressive strength of the leveling compound should be such that it does not break up after the tiles have been removed (uplifted) at the end of their installed life. The flexural strength of the leveling compound should be at least about 10 N/mm² after 28 days.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present use of a reinforced tile 10 in conjunction with a selected pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) 12 system provides the benefits of a classic glue-down system with few of the drawbacks, and importantly, with the added advantage of clean release of the tile 10 for subsequent reuse (i.e., re-installation) or recycling. When tiles are installed with classic pressure sensitive adhesives, they suffer from tile gapping/tenting but by combining a low tack adhesive with a reinforced tile, these issues can be overcome. Further, the present reinforced tile 10 in conjunction or installed with a selected PSA 12 system overcomes issues with installation of standard LVT tile which would not otherwise be held securely by the selected low tack adhesive and would be distorted on uplift.

Although the present reinforced tile 10 can be applied using a conventional flooring trowel in which a continuous film of a low tack tackifier is applied, i.e., a conformal coating, such an application would likely require a subfloor with a higher cohesive strength and appropriate porosity such that the adhesive remained adhered to the subfloor and it did not breakup once the tiles were uplifted. As such, it is preferred to apply the present reinforced tile 10 using the above-noted non-standard trowel 30 which delivers the adhesive 12 in spaced lines 34 (see FIG. 3) in conjunction with a high cohesive strength levelling compound to improve performance, including release/removal performance or the tile 10.

As discussed above, the tackifier type adhesive 12 should be selected to confer preferential adhesion to the subfloor S rather than to the tile 10, so that at the end of product life, tile 10 uplift will leave little to no residue on the underside 22 of the tile 10 and will permit tile 10 removal or uplift with no distortion to the tile 10 to allow for reuse if or as desired.

Further, with the adhesive 12 applied as a non-conformal film, such as in lines 34, and being a moisture resistant polymer, any subfloor moisture will dissipate in the channels 36 between the adhesive lines 34 without hydrolysis of the adhesive 12 rather than concentrate in one area and break down the integrity of the adhesive 12, causing localized tile 10 uplift. Furthermore, the non-conformal coating/film, and soft nature of the adhesive 12 application will improve impact acoustic performance of the system by virtue of the air in the channels 36 between the adhesive line 34. Non-conformal coatings can be, for example, patterned non-conformal films. And again, an adhesive 12 having moisture resistance properties prevents issues related to subfloor moisture.

It will be appreciated that the adhesive-to-substrate (subfloor) 12-to-S bond strength exceeds that of the tile-to-adhesive 10-to-12 bond strength. As such, after removal of the tiles 10, the adhesive 12 can be scraped from the subfloor S without damage to the subfloor S or the subfloor S can be overlaid with a layer of levelling compound suited to application as a thin layer.

While adhesives are generally designed to prevent tile movement, that is to prevent tile expansion and/or contraction, the present tile 10 and adhesive 12 and installation system provide a much lower adhesion with tile 10 dimensional stability so that the tile 10 can be easily removed and reused.

It will also be appreciated that tiles for use with tackifiers/pressure sensitive adhesives are known but when uplifted they can quickly become contaminated with debris or are distorted to such an extent that it is difficult if not impossible to reuse the tiles. In contrast, the present tile 10 having a reinforced stability layer 14 (e.g., glass fiber reinforcement) is resistant to thermal expansion and/or contraction, while also having a semi rigid core that provides the necessary stiffness to the tile 10 to lend itself to distortion free uplift, as well as sufficient drape to lie flat in use but not to allow “grin through”.

Also, such a tile 10 can have a smooth underside 22 to minimize adhesion of the adhesive 12 to the tile underside 22, which “smoothness” can be much lower than known tiles. Minimizing or eliminating adhesive 12 from the tile underside 22 permits recyclability in that the presence of adhesive 12 is a contaminant in the recycling process and is thus potentially incompatible with tile recycling processes. It is anticipated that of the 20-100 g/m² of adhesive 12 applied to adhere the tiles 10 to the subfloor S, less than about 5 percent (5%) and preferably less than about 1% of the adhesive 12 will remain on the tile 10 following uplift or removal of the tile 10 from the subfloor S. Such reduced amounts of adhesive 12 will facilitate reuse or recycle of the tile 10. It will be understood that adhesive can be applied below and above the range of 20-100 g/m², and further appreciated that at higher levels of adhesive application, tiles will be more difficult to remove/uplift at the end of their installed life without distortion of the tiles or transfer of adhesive to the tiles.

It is anticipated that optionally a releasable layer (not shown) can be applied to the underside 22 of the tile/plank, i.e., a layer with very low surface energy at, for example, manufacture of the tile. While this is completely contrary to the normal aim of a floor covering that is glued down with a standard adhesive, the low surface energy layer would ensure that adhesive 12 would not normally be expected to remain adhered at uplift.

In such a system, a permanently tacky adhesive (such as the pressure sensitive type) can be used whose function is to provide tack in contact to the tile underside 22, and not to ‘wet the surface’ as is conventional in floor installations. It is expected that such a system will function best with tiles that have adequate dimensional reinforcement in that the adhesive will not function in the same way as a conventional adhesive. That is, the adhesive will not prevent the tile expansion/contraction when the temperature of the room varies. Rather, the function of the adhesive is to provide a “tack” to the underside of the tile.

One way to achieve this may be to provide a polymeric backing to the tile, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), olefin copolymers, rubbers, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or similar low surface energy material, such as a low surface energy polymer, backing to the tile. Such a backing has a lower and non-permanent adhesion to adhesive. The low surface energy of such a backing material will result in very few standard adhesives making a permanent bond to the underside of the tile. Further, many such materials can be foamed to confer additional/desired acoustic properties to the tile. In such an installation it is anticipated that best practice is to apply the adhesive/tackifier with the modified trowel to facilitate release from the underside of the tile by virtue of the low surface energy of the PE, PP, olefin copolymers, rubbers, EVA or similar low surface energy backing on the tile.

And as noted above, the roughness of the backing layer is less significant in such non-PVC or non-PVC-based material backed tiles 10 in that the backing material can be selected to have a lower adhesion to the tackifier.

Tiles that are free from adhesive, also overcome some of the key problems with tiles designed for adhesive free installation. One popular example of these adhesive-free systems are tiles that have an edge locking mechanism. These edge-lock systems are subject to joint fracture when exposed to heavy rolling or static loads, such as office chairs on castors or furniture. And because all the tiles are locked together, it can be quite difficult to replace faulty/damaged tiles.

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present removable and recyclable/reusable tile can extend beyond vinyl materials to other flooring type materials.

The words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. The words “first,” “second,” “third,” and the like may be used in the present disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these words. These words are only used to distinguish one category of information from another. The directional words “top,” “bottom,” up,” “down,” front,” “back,” and the like are used for purposes of illustration and as such, are not limiting. Depending on the context, the word “if” as used herein may be interpreted as “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining.”

From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.