Matting article

Claim 1

A coherently self-bonded, low density matting article comprising: (a) a primary matting layer consisting essentially of a plurality of continuous melt-spun synthetic polymer filaments of a diameter of about 0.1 to 1.5 mm. laid in overlapping rows of irregularly looped and intermingled filaments to form a peak and valley three-dimensional sheet structure undulating in the longitudinal and/or transverse directions of the matting, the individual filaments in said structure being self-bonded at random points of intersection to provide a transverse strength per unit of surface weight of at least 2 Nm/g, said primary layer having a thickness of about 5 to 70 mm and a surface weight per unit thickness of less than 50,000 g/m 3 ; and (b) a secondary footing layer consisting essentially of a substantially flat, thin nonwoven web of synthetic polymer filaments melt-spun as a separate surface sheet and then immediately applied onto one of the undulating faces of said primary matting layer while still tacky such that the freshly melt-spun surface filaments of the nonwoven web become bonded to part of the filaments of said primary matting layer at mutual points of intersection, said footing layer having a substantially lower porosity than said primary matting layer.