Patent Publication Number: US-2017362755-A1

Title: Fiberball batting and articles comprising the same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/093,293, filed on Dec. 17, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to fiberball batting comprising synthetic fibers and binder fibers, the batting being useful as, for example, insulation. The invention also relates to articles comprising the batting, and to methods of making the batting. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fiberballs have been known for some time. While fiberballs have often been seen as undesirable manufacturing defects in, e.g., the carding of various continuous non-woven materials, in other applications, such as for blowable applications, fiberballs have proven useful. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,531 describes one such blowable fiberball invention. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,531 discloses polyester fiberfill having spiral crimp that is randomly arranged and entangled in the form of blowable fiberballs. The fiberballs are said to be easily transported, e.g., by blowing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,038 discloses fiberballs that are formed of entangled spirally-crimped fiberfill and binder fibers, which are also preferably spirally-crimped. The fiberballs are said to be easily transported, e.g., by blowing, and can subsequently be compressed and bonded together. The reference explains that binder fiber blends are used on a large scale in furnishings, mattresses, and similar end-uses where strong support is desired. However, they are seldom used as the only filling material in these end-uses, e.g., in furnishing seat cushions, where the common practice is to use the fiberfill batts as a “rapping” for a foam core, likely because, to obtain the desired resilience and performance in 100% fiberfill cushions, it would be necessary to provide such relatively high density as would be unfeasible or too cost-prohibitive, and may not provide for desirable performance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,038 offers a solution, in that its blowable fiberballs may be compressed/molded and bonded to form a strong support as an alternative to layered structures for use in, e.g., furnishings, mattresses, and similar end uses. Consistent with this object, the reference discloses strong, relatively dense (20 Kg/m 3  to 50 Kg/m 3 ) bonded structures, the most dense of which (50 Kg/m 3 ) exhibited the best resilience and support bulk. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,502 discloses bonded structures, which are provided in the form of molded fiberball blocks, which are made through a process that involves a compressing stage. The resultant molded fiberball blocks are relatively dense (with densities generally ranging from about 20 Kg/m 3  to 80 Kg/m 3 ), have improved resilience, durability, and conformability, and may be used in, e.g., mattresses. 
     While previous efforts relating to fiber filling materials have been directed to, e.g., conventional batts, blowable fiberballs, and dense resilient bonded structures containing fiberballs, a need continues to exist for improved fill materials. 
     While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein. 
     In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was, at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention satisfies the need for improved fill materials. The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein. 
     Certain embodiments of the presently-disclosed batting, articles comprising the batting, and methods for forming the batting have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the batting, articles and methods as defined by the claims that follow, their more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section of this specification entitled “Detailed Description of the Invention,” one will understand how the features of the various embodiments disclosed herein provide a number of advantages over the current state of the art. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides batting that comprises a nonwoven web comprising a fiber mixture having:
         40 to 95 wt % synthetic fibers having a denier of 0.5 to 7.0, and a length of 18 mm to 51 mm; and   5 to 40 wt % binder fibers having a denier of 1.0 to 5.0 and a length of 18 mm to 71 mm, said binder fibers have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic fibers.
 
Structurally, the nonwoven web comprises:
   50 to 95 wt % of a plurality of fiberballs having an average diameter of 3.0 to 8.0 mm; and   5 to 50 wt % of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof.
 
The batting has a density of 2 to 12 kg/m 3 .
       

     In a second aspect, the invention provides an article comprising the inventive batting. Non-limiting examples of such articles include, for example, outerwear (e.g. outerwear garments such as jackets, etc.), clothing, sleeping bags, bedding (e.g., comforters), etc. 
     In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of making the inventive batting, said method comprising:
         mixing fibers comprising:
           40 to 95 wt % synthetic fibers having a denier of 0.5 to 7.0, and a length of 18 mm to 51 mm; and   5 to 40 wt % binder fibers having a denier of 1.0 to 5.0 and a length of 18 mm to 71 mm, said binder fibers have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic fibers,
 
thereby forming a fiber mixture;
   
           forming a plurality of fiberballs from the fiber mixture;   forming a nonwoven web from the fiber mixture, wherein said nonwoven web comprises:
           50 to 95 wt % of a plurality of fiberballs having an average diameter of 3.0 to 8.0 mm; and   5 to 50 wt % of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof; and   
           heating the non-woven web to or in excess of the bonding temperature of the binder fibers, thereby forming the batting.       

     These and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and: 
         FIG. 1  is a top-view photograph of one embodiment of the inventive batting. 
         FIG. 2  is a profile-view photograph of one embodiment of the inventive batting. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Aspects of the present invention and certain features, advantages, and details thereof, are explained more fully below with reference to the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Descriptions of well-known materials, fabrication tools, processing techniques, etc., are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the invention in detail. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific example(s), while indicating embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, and are not by way of limitation. Various substitutions, modifications, additions and/or arrangements within the spirit and/or scope of the underlying inventive concepts will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides batting that comprises a nonwoven web comprising a fiber mixture having:
         40 to 95 wt % synthetic fibers having a denier of 0.5 to 7.0, and a length of 18 mm to 51 mm; and   5 to 40 wt % binder fibers having a denier of 1.0 to 5.0 and a length of 18 mm to 71 mm, said binder fibers have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic fibers.
 
Structurally, the nonwoven web comprises:
   50 to 95 wt % of a plurality of fiberballs having an average diameter of 3.0 to 8.0 mm; and   5 to 50 wt % of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof.       

     The plurality of fiberballs and the plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof, also necessarily comprise the fiber mixture of the nonwoven web. 
     The inventive batting has typically been heat treated so as melt all or a portion of the binder fibers, thereby forming a bonded web-type batting. Accordingly, persons having ordinary skill in the art will understand that, in such embodiments, although “binder fibers” are recited in the fiber mixture of the nonwoven web, said fibers will be wholly or partially melted fibers, as opposed to binder fibers in their original, pre-heat treatment form. Nevertheless, as used herein, denier and length descriptions of the binder fibers describe characteristics of the binder fibers prior to thermal bonding treatment. 
       FIG. 1  is a top-view photograph of one embodiment of the inventive batting  100 . As shown, the batting includes a plurality of fiberballs  12 , and a plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof, which also necessarily comprise the fiber mixture of the nonwoven web  14  (for the sake of simplicity, these may be referred to as “spaces”). The invention is distinguishable from prior art bonded materials formed from blowable fiberballs (for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,038), because, e.g., when blowable fiberballs are bonded to one another using compression and heat treatment as described in the art, the result lacks the spaces  14 , which are present in the instant invention by virtue of the nonwoven web that is formed prior to heat treatment.  FIG. 2  is a profile-view photograph of an embodiment of the inventive batting  200 , which also shows fiberballs  12  and spaces  14 . 
     An advantage of the present invention over the state of the art includes the ability of the inventive batting to form rolled goods. While prior art blowable fiberballs have been bonded, bonding typically takes place only after the fiberballs have been introduced into their final destination (e.g., a cushion). On the other hand, the inventive batting is made so as to form a non-woven web (generally, in the form of a soft, pliable sheet), which can be subsequently subjected to heat treatment so as to melt the binder fibers and form the inventive batting ex situ (outside of the finished product). The inventive batting may then optionally be rolled and shipping to be used as a rolled good. For example, rolls of the batting may be later cut to a desired dimension, depending on intended application, then used as filling and/or insulation in an article. 
     The fiber mixture of the batting comprises 40 to 95 wt % of the synthetic fibers, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the batting comprises 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, or 95 wt % of the synthetic fibers, including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 75 to 90 wt %). 
     Many synthetic fibers are known in the art, and any desired synthetic fibers may be used in the invention. Indeed, different fibers have different properties, and lend themselves toward advantageous uses in different applications. This information is well within the purview of persons having ordinary skill in the art. While a wide array of synthetic fibers may be used in the invention, in some embodiments, the synthetic fibers are selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, acrylic, acetate, polyolefin, nylon, rayon, lyocell, aramid, spandex, viscose, and modal fibers, and combinations thereof. 
     In particular embodiments, the synthetic fibers comprise polyester fibers. In some embodiments, such polyester fibers comprise one or more of§ poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(hexahydro-p-xylylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly-1,4-cyclohexelyne dimethylene (PCDT) and terephthalate copolyesters in which at least 85 mole percent of the ester units are ethylene terephthalate or hexahydro-p-xylylene terephthalate units. In a particular embodiment, the synthetic fibers are polyethylene terephthalate fibers. 
     Denier is a unit of measure defined as the weight in grams of 9000 meters of a fiber or yarn. It is a common way to specify the weight (or size) of the fiber or yarn. For example, polyester fibers that are 1.0 denier typically have a diameter of approximately 10 micrometers. Micro-denier fibers are those having a denier of 1.0 or less, while macro-denier fibers have a denier greater than 1.0. 
     The synthetic fibers have a denier of 0.5 to 7.0, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the denier is 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, or 7.0, including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 1.0 to 4.0 denier, 1.0 to 2.0 denier, etc.). 
     The synthetic fibers have a length of 18 mm to 51 mm, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the length is 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, or 51 mm, including all ranges/subranges therein (e.g., 20 to 30 mm). 
     In some embodiments, the synthetic fibers are siliconized. The term “siliconized” means that the fiber is coated with a silicon-comprising composition (e.g., a silicone). Siliconization techniques are well known in the art, and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,422. The silicon-comprising composition may be applied using any method known in the art, e.g., spraying, mixing, dipping, padding, etc. The silicon-comprising (e.g., silicone) composition, which may include an organosiloxane or polysiloxane, bonds to an exterior portion of the fiber. In some embodiments, the silicone coating is a polysiloxane such as a methylhydrogenpolysiloxane, modified methylhydrogenpolysiloxane, polydimethylsiloxane, or amino modified dimethylpolysiloxane. As is known in the art, the silicon-comprising composition may be applied directly to the fiber, or may be diluted with a solvent as a solution or emulsion, e.g. an aqueous emulsion of a polysiloxane, prior to application. Following treatment, the coating may be dried and/or cured. As is known in the art, a catalyst may be used to accelerate the curing of the silicon-comprising composition (e.g., polysiloxane containing Si—H bonds) and, for convenience, may be added to a silicon-comprising composition emulsion, with the resultant combination being used to treat the synthetic fiber. Suitable catalysts include iron, cobalt, manganese, lead, zinc, and tin salts of carboxylic acids such as acetates, octanoates, naphthenates and oleates. In some embodiments, following siliconization, the fiber may be dried to remove residual solvent and then optionally heated to between 65° and 200° C. to cure. 
     In some embodiments, the synthetic fibers are slickened with another slickening agent, e.g., segmented copolymers of polyalkyleneoxide and other polymers, such as polyester, or polyethylene or polyalkylene polymers as is mentioned in U.S. Pat. No. 6,492,020 B1. 
     Binder fibers are well known in the art, and an array of binder fibers are commercially available. The binder fibers used in the present invention may be conventional binder fibers (e.g., low-melt polyester binder fibers), or other binder fibers, provided that whatever binder fiber is used, the binder fiber has a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic fibers. Binder fibers are discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,038, and general protocols for certain embodiments of binder fibers are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,042 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,817. In some embodiments, the binder fibers are monocomponent fibers. In some components, the binder fibers are multicomponent fibers (e.g., bicomponent fibers, for example, sheath-core fibers, where the core comprises a higher melting component than the sheath). In some embodiments, the binder fibers comprise blends of one or more different types of binder fibers. 
     The fiber mixture of the batting comprises 5 to 40 wt % of the binder fibers, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the batting comprises 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, or 40 wt % of the binder fibers, including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 10 to 25 wt %). 
     The binder fibers have a denier of 1.0 to 5.0, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the denier is 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, or 5.0 denier, including any ranges/subranges therein (e.g., 1.5 to 3.5 denier, 1.9 to 2.5 denier, etc.). 
     The binder fibers have a length of 18 mm to 71 mm, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the length is 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 ,63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, or 71 mm, including all ranges/subranges therein (e.g., 18 to 51 mm, 40 to 60 mm, etc.). 
     As indicated above, the binder fibers have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic fibers. In some embodiments, the binder fibers have a bonding temperature of less than or equal to 200° C. In some embodiments, the binder fibers have a bonding temperature of 50 to 200, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. In some embodiments, the binder fibers have a bonding temperature of 80° C. to 150° C. In some embodiments, the binder fibers have a bonding temperature of 100° C. to 125° C. 
     In some embodiments, the binder fibers have a melting temperature that is 15 to 170° C. less than the melting temperature of the synthetic fibers. For example, in some embodiments, the binder fibers have a melting temperature that is 15-170° C. less than the melting temperature of the synthetic fibers (e.g., 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, or 170° C., including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the synthetic fibers are polyester fibers having a melting point of about 250° C., and the binder fiber has a melting point of 80 to 180° C. (e.g., about 110° C.). 
     In some embodiments, the binder fibers comprise low-melt polyester fibers. 
     In some embodiments, the binder fibers are bicomponent fibers comprising a sheath and a core, wherein the sheath comprises a material having a lower melting point than the core. In some embodiments, the binder fibers are polyethylene/polypropylene bicomponent fibers. 
     In some embodiments, the synthetic fibers and/or the binder fibers are crimped fibers. Various crimps, including spiral and standard crimp, are known in the art. The fibers may typically have any crimp. However, in some embodiments, the fibers are not spirally or helically crimped fibers. In some embodiments, synthetic and/or binder fibers are not crimped. 
     In some embodiments, the fiber mixture additionally comprises one or more types of natural fibers in addition to the synthetic fibers and binder fibers. For example, in some embodiments, the fiber mixture additionally comprises one or more members selected from wool, cotton, tencel, flax, animal hair, silk, and down. 
     The nonwoven web comprises 50 to 90 wt % of fiberballs, including any and all ranges and subranges therein; and 10 to 50 wt % of the spaces, including any and all ranges and subranges therein. For example, in some embodiments, the batting/nonwoven web comprises 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, or 90 wt % fiberballs, including any and all ranges/subranges therein (e.g., 70 to 90 wt %). In some embodiments, the batting/nonwoven web comprises 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, or 50 wt % spaces, including ranges/subranges therein (e.g., 10 to 30 wt %). 
     The fiberballs have an average diameter of 3.0 to 8.0 mm (e.g., 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, or 8 mm), including any and all ranges and subranges therein (e.g., 4 to 6 mm, 5 to 6 mm, etc.). 
     In some embodiments, the batting has a thickness of less than or equal to 40 mm, for example, 5 to 40 mm (e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, or 40 mm), including all ranges and subranges therein. 
     The batting has a density of 2 to 12 kg/m 3  (e.g., 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, 10.9, 11.0, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6, 11.7, 11.8, 11.9, or 12.0 kg/m 3 ), including any and all ranges and subranges therein. The density of the batting is thus relatively low compared to prior art that utilizes compacted fiberballs. Indeed, embodiments of the inventive batting, unlike prior art, provide a lofty, soft, and pliable insulation. Despite conventional thought in the field, which would suggest that the inventive batting, having a density of 2 to 12 kg/m 3 , may not have sufficient structural integrity to remain intact following handling and use (and thus would not be fit as insulation), would not have sufficient insulating properties, and/or would not be readily producible, Applicant has found that embodiments of the invention surprisingly achieve all of these objectives.The inventive batting comprises a first surface and second surface, the second surface being parallel to first surface. In some embodiments, the first surface and/or the second surface of the batting comprises a cross-linked resin. This is the case where, for instance, a cross-linker solution comprising a cross-linker compound has been applied to the first and/or second surface. The resin is a cross-linked (e.g., via heat treatment) version of the cross-linker solution. In some embodiments, the cross-linked resin comprises a cross-linker that is a cross-linked acrylate (co)polymer. In some embodiments, the cross-linker solution and/or the cross-linker compound display softness and hydrophobicity. In some embodiments, the cross-linker compound has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than 0° C. 
     In some embodiments, at least one of the first surface and second surface comprises a scrim layer. Scrim is well known in the art. Use of scrim can help to mitigate fiber migration in the inventive batting (e.g., during handling of the product). 
     As discussed above, the inventive batting comprises the nonwoven web, which comprises the fiber mixture. In some embodiments, the fiber content of the nonwoven web consists of the fiber mixture. 
     In some embodiments, the batting comprises a single nonwoven web. In other embodiments, the batting comprises a plurality of nonwoven web layers, wherein one or more of said layers is a nonwoven web according to the invention (i.e., containing the fiber mixture and specified weight percentages of fiberballs and spaces). In some embodiments, the batting comprises a plurality of nonwoven webs, all of which are nonwoven webs according to the invention. 
     In a second aspect, the invention provides an article comprising the inventive batting. Non-limiting examples of such articles include, for example, outerwear (e.g. outerwear garments such as jackets, etc.), clothing, sleeping bags, bedding (e.g., comforters), etc. 
     In a third aspect, the invention provides a method of making the inventive batting, said method comprising:
         mixing fibers comprising:
           40 to 95 wt % synthetic fibers having a denier of 0.5 to 7.0, and a length of 18 mm to 51 mm; and   5 to 40 wt % binder fibers having a denier of 1.0 to 5.0 and a length of 18 mm to 71 mm, said binder fibers have a bonding temperature lower than the softening temperature of the synthetic fibers,
 
thereby forming a fiber mixture;
   
           forming a plurality of fiberballs from the fiber mixture;   forming a nonwoven web from the fiber mixture, wherein said nonwoven web comprises:
           50 to 95 wt % of a plurality of fiberballs having an average diameter of 3.0 to 8.0 mm; and   5 to 50 wt % of a plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof; and   heating the non-woven web to or in excess of the bonding temperature of the binder fibers, thereby forming the batting.   
               

     Methods of forming fiberballs are well known in the art, and any known fiberball formation process that is conducive to forming fiberballs from the fiber mixture (knowledge well within the purview of a skilled artisan in the field) may be used. For example, methods of forming fiberballs are described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,794,038 and 6,613,431. While any fiberball formation techniques may be used, in some embodiments, the fiberballs are formed by air-tumbling small tufts of the synthetic and binder fibers repeatedly against a wall of a vessel so as to densify the bodies and make them rounder, thereby forming fiberballs. In other embodiments, a fiber ball machine is used to form fiberballs. In some embodiments, the fiberballs are formed using a ball card (i.e., a carding machine modified for production of fiberballs). 
     In some embodiments, prior to fiberball formation, the synthetic fibers, and/or the binder fibers are opened. As is well known in the art, opening entails separating the fibers to some extent (e.g., using an opener, such as a bale opening system) prior to further processing. 
     The forming a nonwoven web from the fiber mixture may utilize any acceptable web-forming technology (e.g., an airlaid system, or a carding machine). For example, in some embodiments, the fiber mixture (namely, in the form of fiberballs, which have been formed from the mixture), is subjected to a flowing air stream to form a nonwoven web. In such embodiments, the spaces may be formed, for example, from “fallout” fiber that has separated from a mixture of fiberballs that are processed through the airlaid system. 
     In some embodiments, forming the nonwoven web comprises depositing the fiber mixture (e.g., the formed fiberballs and any loose fibers remaining following fiber ball formation) onto a forming wire. In some embodiments, this may be done with vacuum assistance (e.g., the vaccum system being located below the forming wire). In particular embodiments, loose fiberballs are fed into an air lay system. The air lay system meters out the fiberballs via an airflow over a given width and specified thickness. 
     After the nonwoven web is formed, it is heated to or in excess of the bonding temperature of the binder fibers, thereby forming the inventive batting. For example, after the nonwoven fiberball web is created by the air lay system, it can be carried by an apron into a thermal bonding oven where the binder fibers are activated by heat, thus resulting in a bonded batting. 
     Prior to thermal bonding (heating the non-woven web to or in excess of the bonding temperature of the binder fibers), the intermediate nonwoven web may optionally be subjected to machining (e.g., rollers) to provide a degree of integrity to the web, if desired (provided, of course, that such machining does not result in a batting that would have a density in excess of 12 kg/m 3 ). 
     The nonwoven web may serve as the batting, or it may be layered with one or more additional layers (according to the invention or otherwise) to form a layered batting. 
     EXAMPLES 
     The invention will now be illustrated, but not limited, by reference to the specific embodiment described in the following examples. 
     A sample batting is made according to the above method. The fiber mix for the sample is 90% 1.4 denier polyester fibers having a staple length of 28 mm, and 10% low-melt bi-component polyester/polyester binder fibers. The fiber mix is processed through a carding machine to obtain a non-woven web batting pre-cursor, which is heated at 110° C. to form an embodiment of the inventive batting. The final batting structure consists of 80% fiberballs having a diameter of 6 mm, and 20% plurality of portions of the nonwoven web that are adjacent to one or more fiberballs but that do not themselves comprise one or more fiberballs or any portion thereof. The batting has a weight of 175 gsm (grams per square meter), a thickness of 17.5 mm, and a density of 10 kg/m 3 . 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprise” (and any form of comprise, such as “comprises” and “comprising”), “have” (and any form of have, such as “has” and “having”), “include” (and any form of include, such as “includes” and “including”), “contain” (and any form contain, such as “contains” and “containing”), and any other grammatical variant thereof, are open-ended linking verbs. As a result, a method or article that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more steps or elements possesses those one or more steps or elements, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more steps or elements. Likewise, a step of a method or an element of an article that “comprises”, “has”, “includes” or “contains” one or more features possesses those one or more features, but is not limited to possessing only those one or more features. 
     As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “has,” “including,” “containing,” and other grammatical variants thereof encompass the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.” 
     The phrase “consisting essentially of” or grammatical variants thereof when used herein are to be taken as specifying the stated features, integers, steps or components but do not preclude the addition of one or more additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof but only if the additional features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed compositions or methods. 
     All publications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference herein as though fully set forth. 
     Subject matter incorporated by reference is not considered to be an alternative to any claim limitations, unless otherwise explicitly indicated. 
     Where one or more ranges are referred to throughout this specification, each range is intended to be a shorthand format for presenting information, where the range is understood to encompass each discrete point within the range as if the same were fully set forth herein. 
     While several aspects and embodiments of the present invention have been described and depicted herein, alternative aspects and embodiments may be affected by those skilled in the art to accomplish the same objectives. Accordingly, this disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover all such further and alternative aspects and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.