Nonwoven material and method of manufacture therefor

Abstract

A flexible, recyclable and sewable nonwoven textile formed from first fibers having a high temperature polyester core and a low temperature thermoplastic sheath, and second thermoplastic fibers formed from a high temperature polyester. The nonwoven textile is formed by blending the first thermoplastic staple with the second thermoplastic staple, carding the blend into a web, cross lapping the fibers of the web into a mat, needling the mat, heating the mat to a temperature above the melt temperature of the low temperature thermoplastic thereby forming unions between the fibers.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A nonwoven material comprising a plurality of fibers intermingled and fused together, said fibers being formed of a recyclable material, and wherein said nonwoven material is sewable.  
     
     
         2 . The nonwoven according to  claim 1 , wherein said nonwoven material is flexible.  
     
     
         3 . The nonwoven according to  claim 1 , wherein said recyclable material comprises a thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         4 . The nonwoven according to  claim 3 , wherein said fibers are polyester.  
     
     
         5 . The nonwoven according to  claim 1 , wherein said fibers are entangled through needlepunching.  
     
     
         6 . The nonwoven according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibers of said nonwoven material comprise a first fiber having an exterior portion with a first melt temperature, and a second fiber having a second melt temperature, wherein said first melt temperature is lower than said second melt temperature.  
     
     
         7 . The nonwoven according to  claim 6 , wherein said fibers are entangled through needlepunching.  
     
     
         8 . The nonwoven according to  claim 6 , wherein the exterior portion of said first fiber comprises a sheath having the first melt temperature and said first fiber further comprises a core having a core melt temperature, and wherein said core melt temperature is higher than said first melt temperature.  
     
     
         9 . The nonwoven according to  claim 8 , wherein said fibers are entangled through needlepunching.  
     
     
         10 . A method for forming a nonwoven material including the steps of: 
 (a) blending a first thermoplastic staple fiber having an outer area with a first melting point with a second thermoplastic staple fiber having a higher second melting point;    (b) carding the blend of the first thermoplastic staple fiber and the second thermoplastic staple fiber into a web;    (c) crosslapping the fibers of the carded web into a mat;    (d) needle punching the cross lapped mat to entangle the fibers of the mat;    (e) heating the mat to a temperature above the first melting point of the first thermoplastic staple fiber until at least a portion of the first thermoplastic staple fibers form a union with other first thermoplastic staple fibers and second thermoplastic staple fibers; and,    (f) cooling the mat below the first melting temperature of the first thermoplastic staple fibers.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the first thermoplastic staple fiber has a core and a sheath, the sheath having the first melting point and the core having a melting point higher than the first melting point.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said step of needling includes the step of needling between 1100-1800 punches per inch.