Patent ID: 6897170

Claim:
Fabric suitable for tufting comprising a plurality of warp tapes and a plurality of waft tapes wherein average number of warp tapes per unit length and average number of weft tapes per unit length are the same or differ by not more than about 15%, average width of warp tapes and average width of weft tapes are the same or differ by not more than about 15%. average thickness and denier of warp tapes and average thickness and denier of weft tapes, respectively, are the same or differ by not more than about 15%; wherein a portion of the warp tapes or of the weft tapes or of both comprise polypropylene tapes that are not multi-layered and at least a portion of the warp tapes or of the weft tapes or of both are multi-layer tapes that comprise a first thermoplastic resin layer comprising a propylene-dominated propylene-ethylene copolymer or polypropylene-dominated blend of polypropylene and polyethylene and a second layer comprising a thermoplastic resin having a melting temperature higher than the melting temperature of the first thermoplastic resin layer and a plurality of tapes are heat sealed to the first thermoplastic resin layer at their crossovers with the multi-layer tapes to provide a level of dimensional stability such that a peak force of at least about 50 pounds is required to remove from the fabric ten adjacent parallel yarns disposed perpendicular to the direction in which the force is applied, and wherein such stabilization does not substantially impair tuftability of the fabric.