Thermal bonding is the process of using heat to bond or stabilize a web structure that consists of a hot melt material that can either be in fiber, powder or web forms. It offers high production rates because bonding is accomplished at high speed with heated calendar rolls or ovens. Thermal bonding process has been used successfully with a number of thermoplastic fibers. Thermally bonded fabrics are produced both from entirely thermoplastic materials and from blends containing fibres that are not intended to soften or flow on heating.

Thermal bonding processes comprise hot?air treatment, calendaring and welding of nonwovens.