Patent ID: 8389425

Claim:
A bonded mat comprising: a coil web comprising first and second oppositely-facing major surfaces, the coil web being comprised of thermoplastic polymeric fibers each with a major radial surface, at least some of the thermoplastic polymeric fibers being porous thermoplastic polymeric fibers each comprising expanded polymeric microspheres distributed throughout the fiber and arranged such that the major radial surface of the porous thermoplastic polymeric fiber is bumpy; and, a porous thermoplastic polymeric backing comprising first and second oppositely-facing major surfaces, wherein the first major surface of the coil web is bonded to the first major surface of the porous thermoplastic polymeric backing; and, wherein the expanded polymeric microspheres comprise an expansion-starting temperature, and wherein the porous thermoplastic polymeric fibers are comprised of a thermoplastic material that comprises an extrusion temperature that is higher than the expansion-starting temperature of the expanded polymeric microspheres.