Fiber material and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A fiber material contains an assembly of a plurality of nanofiber coated polymer fibers in which a polymer fiber serving as a core fiber is coated with polymer nanofibers, in which the polymer fibers and the polymer nanofibers are fusion-bonded and two or more of the polymer fibers are fusion-bonded to each other in at least one portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fiber material, comprising:
 an assembly of a plurality of nanofiber coated polymer fibers in which a polymer fiber serving as a core fiber is coated with polymer nanofibers, wherein the polymer fiber and the polymer nanofibers are fusion-bonded and two or more of the polymer fibers are fusion-bonded to each other in at least one portion.   
     
     
         2 . The fiber material according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer nanofibers contain a polymer material contained in the polymer fibers. 
     
     
         3 . The fiber material according to  claim 1 , wherein a melting point of the polymer material contained in the polymer fibers is equal to or less than a glass transition point of a polymer material contained in the polymer nanofibers. 
     
     
         4 . A method for manufacturing a fiber material, comprising: spinning including coating a polymer fiber as a core fiber containing a polymer material with polymer nanofibers containing a polymer material to obtain a nanofiber coated polymer fiber, and fusion-bonding including fusion-bonding the polymer fiber and the polymer nanofibers and also fusion-bonding two or more of the polymer fibers in at least one portion. 
     
     
         5 . The method for manufacturing a fiber material according to  claim 4 , wherein the spinning employs an electrospinning method. 
     
     
         6 . The method for manufacturing a fiber material according to  claim 4 , wherein the fusion-bonding is performed by thermal fusion-bonding, ultrasonic fusion-bonding, friction fusion-bonding, or fusion-bonding by thermocompression bonding.