Abstract: Provided is a functional nonwoven fabric that has good feeling upon use, such as hand feeling (softness) or texture, and is capable of stably exhibiting the characteristics of hydroxyapatite (for example, microbe adsorption property). Disclosed is a functional nonwoven fabric in which sintered hydroxyapatite particles are fixed by thermal fusion bonding to a surface of a nonwoven fabric containing fibers, at least surfaces of the fibers being mainly composed of a thermoplastic resin, wherein a shearing rigidity of the functional nonwoven fabric is 8.5 gf/cm/degree or less.

Abstract: Provided are a spinning apparatus capable of stably spinning fibers having a small fiber diameter with a high productivity, an apparatus comprising the same for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric, a process for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric using the nonwoven fabric manufacturing apparatus, and a nonwoven fabric produced by the process. The spinning apparatus of the present invention comprises one or more exits for extruding liquid, which are capable of extruding a spinning liquid, and one or more exits for ejecting gas, which extend linearly and are located upstream of each of the exits for extruding liquid and which are capable of ejecting a gas, wherein a shearing force by the gas and its accompanying airstream can be single-linearly exerted on the spinning liquid extruded. The apparatus of the present invention for manufacturing a nonwoven fabric comprises a fibers collection means as well as the spinning apparatus.

Abstract: A spinning apparatus comprising one or more exits for extruding liquid, and an exit for ejecting gas, located upstream of the exits for extruding liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for liquid, in which the exit for extruding liquid forms one end of the columnar hollow; the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for gas having the exit for ejecting gas; a virtual column for liquid, extended from the columnar hollow for liquid, is adjacent to a virtual column for gas, extended from the columnar hollow for gas; the central axis of the columnar hollow for liquid is parallel to the central axis of the columnar hollow for gas; and there exists only one straight line having the shortest distance between an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for gas and an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for liquid, is disclosed.

Abstract: A spinning apparatus comprising one or more exits for extruding liquid, and an exit for ejecting gas, located upstream of the exits for extruding liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for liquid, in which the exit for extruding liquid forms one end of the columnar hollow; the apparatus comprises a columnar hollow for gas having the exit for ejecting gas; a virtual column for liquid, extended from the columnar hollow for liquid, is adjacent to a virtual column for gas, extended from the columnar hollow for gas; the central axis of the columnar hollow for liquid is parallel to the central axis of the columnar hollow for gas; and there exists only one straight line having the shortest distance between an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for gas and an outer boundary of the cross-section of the columnar hollow for liquid, is disclosed.