Heat-resistant nonwoven fabrics

A method for making a heat-resistant nonwoven fabric comprising:

• (a) forming a binder composition comprising a polymer, said polymer containing carboxy groups or carboxylic anhydride groups or salts of said carboxy groups, and a .beta.-hydroxyalkyl amide of the formula:
• ##STR4## wherein A is a bond, hydrogen or a monovalent or polyvalent organic radical derived from a saturated or unsaturated alkyl radical wherein the alkyl radical contains from 1-60 carbon atoms;
• aryl;
• tri-lower alkyleneamino;
• or an unsaturated radical containing at least one ethylenic group [>C.dbd.C<];
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, lower alkyl having 1-5 carbon atoms, or hydroxyalkyl having from 1-5 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are the same or different, being hydrogen, straight or branched chain lower alkyl having 1-5 carbon atoms or one of the R.sup.2 and one of the R.sup.3 radicals may be joined to form, together with the carbon atoms to which they are attached, cycloalkyl;
• n is an integer having a value of 1 or 2 and n' is an integer having a value of 0 to 2 or when n' is 0, a polymer or copolymer (i.e., n has a value greater than 1 preferably 2-10) formed from the .beta.-hydroxyalkylamide when A is an unsaturated radical;
• (b) contacting a nonwoven comprising heat-resistant fibers with said binder composition;
• and
• (c) heating said binder composition at a temperature of from about 125.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. until a cured polymer is obtained.