Method of making a cloth-like microporous laminate of a nonwoven fibrous web and thermoplastic film having air and moisture vapor permeabilities with liquid-barrier properties

A method of extrusion laminating a breathable and liquid-barrier laminate of a nonwoven fibrous web and a microporous thermoplastic film comprising

• introducing a continuous length of nonwoven fibrous web into a nip of rollers for laminating with a microporous-formable thermoplastic film,
• continuously extruding into said nip a microporous-formable thermoplastic extrudate at a temperature above its softening point to form a film,
• controlling the compressive force between said web and film at the nip to bond the surface of the web to the film to form a laminated sheet,
• continuously introducing inline said laminated sheet into incremental stretching rollers at ambient temperature to incrementally stretch said laminated sheet substantially uniformly along lines across the laminated sheet and throughout its depth to provide a microporous laminate,
• whereby said microporous laminate transmits moisture vapor and air and provides a barrier to the passage of liquid.