state where the density of the batt 10 is about 0 15 gm cc although density in the ranges of 0 08 gm cc and 0 2 gm cc is acceptable in this regard it has been learned that the lower the content of thermoplastic fibers 14 the higher the density should be at bonding when batt 10 is heated as set forth above at least a substantial percentage of the short thermoplastic fibers are melted and the melted fibers form beads or globules 13 that flow to the intersections of tmp fibers 12 upon cooling and solidification the globules 13 define thermoplastic fiber bond sites which retain the fibers 14 in a stabilized fiber network with this arrangement the interstices between the fibers 14 are maintained to thereby provide the batt with enhanced absorptive capacity while the present invention contemplates that substantially all of the short thermoplastic fibers may be melted to form beads or globules some of the thermoplastic fibers may retain at least a portion of their fiber identity in which case such fibers may fuse to one another and to the fibers 14 to provide further thermoplastic fiber bond sites fig2 illustrates diagrammatically a form of apparatus 20 suitable for producing the batt 10 apparatus 20 thus may comprise a dual rotor webber 22 of well known construction in.