PROCESS FOR PRODUCING NONWOVEN FABRIC, AND NONWOVEN FABRIC

摘要

Provided is a process for producing nonwoven fabric (10) by conveying a thermoplastic-fiber-containing web (50) to a heated support (110) having a rugged shape and blowing hot air (W1, W2) toward the support (110) from above the web (50) to impart a rugged shape to the web (50), the process including: a step in which the support (110) is heated to a temperature in the range of from the glass transition point of the fibers constituting the web (50) to the melting point thereof; a step in which the fibers of the web (50) are provisionally fusion-bonded to one another by the blowing of first hot air (W1) so that the rugged shape is maintained; and a step in which second hot air (W2) that has a higher temperature than the first hot air (W1) is blown to fusion-bond the fibers of the web (50) to one another in the state of retaining the rugged shape, thereby fixing the rugged shape.