A method for producing an apertured structured material for accommodating
passage of fluids, particularly high viscosity fluids, through the
apertured structured material. In one embodiment, the apertured
structured material is a composite material formed by differential
shrinkage of a shrinkable second layer, for example an ethylene-propylene
copolymer, which is laminated to a first layer, for example a
polypropylene polymer. During the differential shrinkage process, a
plurality of slits which are formed in the second layer open to form
uniformly-shaped apertures. In another embodiment, an apertured
structured heterogenous material is made of a heterogeneous mixture of at
least two homogeneous fiber sets or components having different shrinkage
extents.