Process for forming a nonwoven composite

A process for forming a nonwoven composite comprising, in order:

• obtaining a plurality of primary fibers and optionally binder fibers;
• carding, cross-lapping, and needle-punching the plurality of primary fibers and the binder fibers forming a first nonwoven layer having a top surface and a bottom surface;
• passing the first nonwoven layer over a brush apparatus having a series of projections and interstices between the projections and needling from the bottom surface of the first nonwoven layer into the brush apparatus such that a portion of the primary fibers are pushed into the interstices of the brush apparatus and out of and away from the top surface;
• optionally coating the bottom surface of the first nonwoven layer with an adhesive;
• obtaining a plurality of bulking fibers and binder fibers;
• carding, cross-lapping, and needle-punching the plurality of bulking fibers and the binder fibers forming a second nonwoven layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the second nonwoven layer is oriented such that the top surface of the second nonwoven layer is facing the bottom surface of the first nonwoven layer;
• obtaining a thermoplastic elastomeric film, wherein the film comprises a puncture resistant thermoplastic elastomeric polymer having an elongation at break greater than 300% and a max softening point (thermomechanical analysis end point) between 150° C. and 200° C. as tested according to ASTM E2347-04;
• positioning the thermoplastic elastomeric film between the first nonwoven layer and the second nonwoven layer such that the thermoplastic elastomeric film is adjacent to the bottom surface of the first nonwoven layer and the top surface of the second nonwoven layer;
• needling the stacked layers from the top surface of the first nonwoven layer with a plurality of needles having an average diameter, thereby creating a plurality of holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric film and moving a portion of the primary fibers from the first nonwoven layer into the second nonwoven layer, wherein the holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric film have a median diameter less than the average diameter of the needles;
• heating the needled stacked layers at least partially melting the optional binder fibers in the first nonwoven layer, at least partially melting the binder fibers in the second nonwoven layer, and altering the median size of the holes in the thermoplastic elastomeric film forming the nonwoven composite;
• extruding a thermoplastic layer on the bottom surface of the second nonwoven layer of the nonwoven composite;
• and,
• attaching a sound absorbing nonwoven layer to the extruded thermoplastic layer, wherein the thickness of the sound absorbing nonwoven layer is greater than the thickness of the second nonwoven layer.