Plastic composite articles and methods of making same

A method for making a shaped composite article, comprising the steps of:

• a. providing at least one elongated member of a first thermoplastic material and having a surface portion capable of melting prior to the melting of an adjoining or internal portion;
• and
• b. processing the elongated member into an intermediate form that includes a plurality of repeating structural units that are generally free to move relative to each other, wherein the form is capable of being processed to form a shaped composite article including an exposed portions, and that is ruck-free over the exposed portions of the form in the resulting composite article and has a relatively high degree of retained orientation in the unit;
• wherein the at least one elongated member further comprises a non-migratory process aid agent in an amount less than about 10% by weight of the material of the elongated member;
• wherein the step of processing the elongated member into an intermediate form includes a step of disposing one of the repeating structural units relative to another;
• and
• wherein the plurality of repeating structural units are capable of being arranged to define a pattern;
• and
• wherein the first thermoplastic material is coextruded to include a layer that includes a propylene-ethylene copolymer and an adjoining layer that includes an isotactic polypropylene homopolymer.