Provided is a versatile
nonwoven fabric having excellent
heat resistance and
mechanical strength and applicable to applications requiring
heat resistance; or a
nonwoven fabric having excellent
heat resistance,
mechanical strength, and permeability. Moreover, provided is a separator for electrochemical elements having excellent heat resistance and
mechanical strength. Furthermore, provided is a membrane support having excellent heat resistance, mechanical strength, and
ion permeability.The
nonwoven fabric of the present invention comprises a
polymethylpentene component and a
polyethylene component, wherein the
polyethylene component is fused, and wherein the
polymethylpentene component accounts for 30% by volume or more of the total fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, and the
polyethylene component accounts for 30% by volume or more of the total fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric. The separator for electrochemical elements of the present invention comprises the nonwoven fabric. Another nonwoven fabric of the present invention comprises core-sheath composite fibers having a polyethylene component as a sheath component and a
polymethylpentene component as a
core component, wherein the polyethylene component as the sheath component of the core-sheath composite
fiber is fused, wherein the polymethylpentene component accounts for 30% by volume or more of the total fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, and the polyethylene component accounts for 30% by volume or more of the total fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, wherein a thickness of the nonwoven fabric is 100 μm or less, and the nonwoven fabric has a direction with a tensile strength per
mass per unit area of 2.0 N / 5 cm-width or more, or wherein a ratio (L / D) of a
fiber diameter (D, unit: μm) to a length (L, unit: μm) of the core-sheath composite
fiber is 350 or more. The membrane support of the present invention comprises the other nonwoven fabric.