| abstract |
The present mat has a textile upper surface that has been thermally modified in a patternwise arrangement, such that the patterned areas have an abrasive feel ideal for scraping dirt from footwear. Such abrasive feel, or harsh hand, is due to the thermal modification of the heat-treated yarns, which may result in fibers having a clubbed end or, in extreme cases, a ball of re-melted polymer on the end of a fiber stalk or fiber. The yarns may be “thermally modified” by shrinking (in which the filaments decrease in size longitudinally, but are still recognizable as separate filaments) and melting (in which the yarns are heated beyond their glass transition point, become molten, and, when cooled, produce a fused yarn bundle). Attached to textile upper surface 10 is a flexible and durable backing material (e.g., 6 ). |