Abstract: A composite fabric in the form of a carpet tile including a fibrous material and a substrate material formed of deaerated thermo-plastics material having a density in the range 4-10 lbs./sq. yard. The thermo-plastics material forms an exposed surface of the carpet tile and the fibrous material forms a layer embedded in the deaerated thermo-plastics material remote from the exposed surface. A lightweight layer of pile-forming material having a density in the range 6-8 oz/sq. yard is bonded to the substrate material at the surface thereof remote from the exposed surface and a bonding agent, in the form of a layer of a foamed plastics material in a gelled state, secures the layer of pile-forming material to the substrate material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a composite fabric comprising the steps of coating one surface of a web of relatively lightweight material with a layer of foamed plastics material in liquid state, forming a substrate material by applying a layer of fibrous material to a layer of deaerated thermo-plastics material in liquid form, maintaining the viscosity of the thermo-plastics material at a level to permit the fibrous material to sink into the layer of thermo-plastics material, thermally treating the substrate material to achieve firm gellation of the thermo-plastics material therein and applying the coated surface of the lightweight material to the substrate material when in a heated state for a period sufficient to effect gellation of the foamed plastics material to form the composite fabric.