PRODUCTION OF POLYVINYL ALCOHOL FIBER, AND FIBER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for efficiently producing, at low cost, polyvinyl alcohol-based fibers, excellent in mechanical properties, rarely sticking, and high in quality. SOLUTION: This method spins a spinning solution composed of an aqueous solution of vinyl alcohol polymer into an aqueous solution of inorganic salt (coagulation bath) having dehydration/solidification capacity, either by a wet or dry/wet process, to form the wet filament bundles; dries the wet filament bundles to a water content of 25 wt.% or less based on the PVA; washes them to reduce the inorganic salt content; again dries them to a moisture content of 0.5 wt.% or less; and draws them under dry heating, to produce polyvinyl alcohol-based fibers.