Layered composite articles and methods of making same
Described is a method of making a densified fiber batt that includes the steps of: a) providing a fiber batt comprising a first plurality of fibers having a first melting point and a second plurality of fibers having a second melting point different from the first melting point; b) subjecting the fiber batt to heat, thereby producing a heated fiber batt; and c) after step b) subjecting the heated fiber batt to pressure in a static press, thereby forming a densified fiber batt having a first surface and an opposed second surface, wherein the densified fiber batt comprises at least 30% by weight of the first plurality of fibers being a plurality of multi-component fibers. Also disclosed is a layered composite article comprising such a fiber batt.
1 . A layered composite article, comprising:
a) a rigid backing portion comprising a rigid core having a first surface and an opposed second surface, wherein the rigid core comprises a first needle-punched densified fiber batt and a second needle-punched densified fiber batt, wherein the first needle-punched densified fiber batt and the second needle-punched densified fiber batt have different densities,
wherein the first needle-punched densified fiber batt comprises a respective second plurality of fibers and at least 30% by weight of a respective first plurality of fibers,
wherein the first plurality of fibers of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt being multi-component fibers and having a melting point different from a melting point of the second plurality of fibers of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt,
wherein the second needle-punched densified fiber batt comprises a respective second plurality of fibers and a respective first plurality of fibers,
wherein the first plurality of fibers of the second needle-punched densified fiber batt being multi-component fibers and having a melting point different from a melting point of the second plurality of fibers of the second needle-punched densified fiber batt,
wherein the rigid core comprises at least 30% by weight of multi-component fibers, and;
b) a decorative portion having:
a first surface and an opposed second surface, and
an aesthetic layer and a wear layer, wherein the aesthetic layer defines the opposed second surface of the decorative portion and is directly affixed to a first surface of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt, and
wherein the wear layer is affixed to a first surface of the aesthetic layer, and
wherein the first surface of the rigid core is the first surface of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt.
2 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the affixed decorative portion has a has a thickness of from about 1 mil to about 20 mils.
3 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the aesthetic layer comprises a veneer of slate, ceramic, stone, wood, cork, a film, a woven, or a nonwoven material.
4 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the first at needle-punched densified fiber batt has a thickness from about 1.5 mm to about 5 mm.
5 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the first needle-punched densified fiber batt has a density from about 40 lb/ft 3 to about 100 lb/ft 3 .
6 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein multi-component fibers of the first plurality of fibers of the of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt have a core-sheath configuration.
7 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the first needle-punched densified fiber batt comprises at least 40% by weight of the plurality of multi-component fibers.
8 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the multi-component fibers of the first plurality of fibers of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt are multi-component polyester fibers having a core-sheath configuration and the second plurality of fibers of the first needle-punched densified fiber batt are mono-component polyester fibers.
9 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane, polyurethane reactive hotmelt adhesive (PUR) polypropylene, polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyamide, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), surlyn resin, heat stabilized biaxially-oriented PET (BoPET), amorphous PET (aPET), recycled PET (rPET), polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG), polyolefin, cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polylactic acid (PLA) copolymers, nylon, cellulose acetate, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), polycarbonate, polyethylene (PE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), or a copolymer thereof.
10 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the aesthetic layer comprises a veneer of slate, ceramic, stone, wood, cork, a film, or a woven material.
11 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the decorative portion further comprises a scratch layer affixed to a first surface of the wear layer.
12 . The layered composite article of claim 11 , wherein the scratch layer is a UV cured scratch layer.
13 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a UV cured wear layer.
14 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer comprises polyurethane.
15 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the opposed second surface of the rigid core defines an outer most surface of the layered composite article and wherein the opposed second surface of the rigid core does not contact an additional layer in the layered composite article.
16 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the decorative portion is a film comprising oriented polypropylene (OPP), polyolefin (PO), woven polyethylene (PE), non-woven PE, woven polypropylene (PP), nonwoven PP, woven PET, whitened fiber PET, nonwoven PET, a heat stabilized biaxially-oriented PET (BoPET), amorphous PET (aPET), recycled PET (rPET), polyethylene terephthlate glycol-modified (PETG), polyolefin, cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polylactic acid (PLA) copolymers, nylon, cellulose acetate, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomers (TPS), polycarbonate, polyethylene (PE), or a copolymer thereof.
17 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the decorative portion is a film comprising PET.
18 . The layered composite article of claim 1 , wherein all fibers in the first needle-punched densified fiber batt are selected from a group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamides, polyurethane, polylactic acid, acetal, co-polyester, co-polyamide, polystyrene, or a combination thereof.