Self rising board molding

A substrate for molding an object, comprising:

• at least one blank or board laminated to at least one other material,
• wherein the at least one blank or board comprises a compressed fibrous nonwoven material comprised of fibers in a nonwoven, three dimensional mass joined together by binder material between at least some adjacent fibers in the three dimensional mass, wherein said nonwoven, three dimensional mass has vertical, width and length dimensions, wherein the binder material has a melting temperature below a melting or decomposition temperature of said fibers,
• wherein the compressed fibrous nonwoven material is formed by
• heating said binder material above said melting temperature and applying a pressure to said nonwoven material such that said nonwoven material is compressed in at least one dimension that is smaller than an original dimension of said nonwoven material, followed by cooling the binder material below the melting temperature while the nonwoven material is compressed such that the fibers are joined together by hardening of said binder material,
• wherein said fibrous nonwoven material, after compression with melting and subsequent hardening of binder material, upon heating, will expand at least 5% in any direction, and is expandable to fill all or a portion of a mold upon heating within the mold.

A method for producing a three-dimensional composite, comprising the steps of:

• producing two or more blanks from nonwoven staple fibers and binder fibers, wherein at least one blank of the two or more blanks comprises a compressed fibrous nonwoven material comprised of fibers in a nonwoven, three dimensional mass joined together by binder material between at least some adjacent fibers in the three dimensional mass, wherein said nonwoven, three dimensional mass has vertical, width and length dimensions, wherein the binder material has a melting temperature below a melting or decomposition temperature of said fibers,
• wherein the compressed fibrous nonwoven material is formed by
• heating said binder material above said melting temperature and applying a pressure to said nonwoven material such that said nonwoven material is compressed in at least one dimension that is smaller than an original dimension of said nonwoven material, followed by cooling the binder material below the melting temperature while the nonwoven material is compressed such that the fibers are joined together by hardening of said binder material,
• wherein said fibrous nonwoven material, after compression with melting and subsequent hardening of binder material, upon heating, will expand at least 5% in any direction, and is expandable to fill all or a portion of a mold upon heating within the mold;
• compressing the two or more blanks to a predetermined thickness in the presence of heat to form a board;
• cutting the board in a pre-determined two-dimensional shape to make a part;
• and
• heating the part within a mold to create a three-dimensional composite.