Recyclable, asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile with different colored fibers

Abstract

Aspects herein are directed to a recyclable, asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile suitable for use in apparel and other articles and methods of making the same. In example aspects, the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile includes a first face formed, at least in part from a first entangled web of fibers and an opposite second face formed, at least in part from a second entangled web of fibers. When incorporated into an article of apparel, the first face forms an outer-facing surface of the article of apparel, and the second face forms an inner-facing surface of the article of apparel. The first face includes features making it suitable to form the outer-facing surface such as resistance to abrasion, and the second face includes features making it suitable to form an inner-facing surface such as a soft hand.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile comprising:
 a first face formed, at least in part, from a first entangled web of fibers, the first face having a first color property and a second color property different from the first color property;   an opposite second face formed, at least in part, from a second entangled web of fibers, the second face having the first color property and the second color property, wherein a greater number of fibers per unit area having the second color property are present on one of the first face or the second face compared to the opposite face; and   an elastomeric layer positioned between the first entangled web of fibers and the second entangled web of fibers, wherein at least some of the fibers of the first entangled web of fibers extend through the elastomeric layer and are entangled with the fibers of the second entangled web of fibers, and wherein at least some of the fibers of the second entangled web of fibers extend through the elastomeric layer and are entangled with the fibers of the first entangled web of fibers.   
     
     
         2 . The asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 1 , further comprising a third entangled web of fibers positioned between the first entangled web of fibers and the second entangled web of fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 2 , wherein the third entangled web of fibers is positioned between the second entangled web of fibers and the elastomeric layer. 
     
     
         4 . The asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the fibers of the third entangled web of fibers extend through the elastomeric layer and are entangled with the fibers of the second entangled web of fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the fibers of the third entangled web of fibers are entangled with the fibers of the first entangled web of fibers. 
     
     
         6 . The asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric layer comprises the first color property. 
     
     
         7 . An asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile comprising:
 a first face formed, at least in part, from a first entangled web of fibers, the first face having a first color property and a second color property different from the first color property;   an opposite second face formed, at least in part, from a second entangled web of fibers, the second face having the first color property and the second color property, wherein a greater number of fibers per unit area having the second color property are present on one of the first face or the second face compared to the opposite face;   a third entangled web of fibers positioned between the first entangled web of fibers and the second entangled web of fibers; and   an elastomeric layer positioned between the first entangled web of fibers and the second entangled web of fibers, wherein at least some of the fibers of the first entangled web of fibers, at least some of the fibers of the second entangled web of fibers, and at least some of the fibers of the third entangled web of fibers extend through the elastomeric layer and are entangled with the fibers of the respective other entangled webs.   
     
     
         8 . The asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 7 , wherein the third entangled web of fibers is positioned between the second entangled web of fibers and the elastomeric layer. 
     
     
         9 . A method of manufacturing an asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile comprising:
 positioning a third web of fibers having a second color property between a first web of fibers having a first color property and a second web of fibers having the first color property;   positioning an elastomeric layer having the first color property between the first web of fibers and the second web of fibers; and   mechanically entangling a first number of the fibers of the third web of fibers with at least some of the fibers of the first web of fibers and a second number of the fibers of the third web of fibers with at least some of the fibers of the second web of fibers.   
     
     
         10 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the third web of fibers is positioned between the second web of fibers and the elastomeric layer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the fibers of the third web of fibers have a denier of from about 1.2 D to about 3.5 D. 
     
     
         12 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the fibers of the first web of fibers have a denier of from about 1.2 D to about 3.5 D. 
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the fibers of the second web of fibers have a denier of from about 0.6 D to about 1 D. 
     
     
         14 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the fibers of each of the first web of fibers, the second web of fibers, and the third web of fibers are dope dyed such that the fibers of the first web of fibers have the first color property, the fibers of the second web of fibers have the first color property, and the fibers of the third web of fibers have the second color property. 
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 14 , wherein the fibers of each of the first web of fibers, the second web of fibers, and the third web of fibers are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers. 
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile is not piece dyed. 
     
     
         17 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 9 , wherein the mechanical entanglement comprises needlepunching. 
     
     
         18 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 17 , wherein subsequent to the mechanical entanglement step, the first web of fibers becomes a first entangled web of fibers having a first stitch density and the second web of fibers becomes a second entangled web of fibers having a second stitch density less than the first stitch density. 
     
     
         19 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 18 , wherein the first entangled web of fibers forms, at least in part, a first face of the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile, and wherein the second entangled web of fibers forms, at least in part, a second face of the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile. 
     
     
         20 . The method of manufacturing the asymmetrical-faced composite nonwoven textile of  claim 19 , wherein subsequent to the mechanical entanglement step, the first face has the first color property and the second color property, and the second face has the first color property and the second color property, wherein a greater number of fibers per unit area having the second color property are present on one of the first face or the second face compared to the opposite face.