Hydroformed composite material and method for making same

A hydroformed composite material formed from a laminated composite precursor material, the laminated composite precursor material comprising an unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web having a substantially planar first surface and a substantially planar second surface that is parallel to the first surface, and a polymer film layer in contact with the first surface, the unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web comprising a plurality of continuous fibers and having an original loft of at least 0.010 cm as measured between the first surface in contact with the polymer film layer and the second surface, the hydroformed composite material comprising:

• an expanded spun bonded nonwoven layer having a substantially planar first surface and a substantially planar second surface parallel to the first surface that is made by a process in which the unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web is transformed to the expanded spun bonded nonwoven layer by applying a plurality of pressurized liquid jets to the second surface of the unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web such that a majority of the fibers in the unexpanded spun bonded nonwoven web are reoriented from a closely-packed substantially horizontal orientation to a more loosely-packed orientation with greater vertical spacing between the fibers, and
• a formed film layer in contact with the first surface of the expanded spun bonded nonwoven layer;
• the expanded spun bonded nonwoven layer having an expanded loft, as measured between its substantially planar first surface in contact with the formed film layer and its substantially planar second surface, of at least 1.3 times greater than the original loft, and
• the formed film layer comprising a plurality of extended cells projecting away from the first surface of the expanded spun bonded nonwoven layer, wherein the plurality of the extended cells comprises apertures at apexes thereof, and wherein the plurality of the extended cells contains portions of the continuous fibers extending outwardly from the formed film layer through the apertures, beyond a plane containing the apexes of the plurality of extended cells of the formed film layer.