Journal of Textile Research ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (07): 19-27.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20240803401

• Fiber Materials • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preparation and properties of aramid nanofibers/thermoplastic polyurethane composite microporous membrane and respirable coated fabric

ZHANG Liping1,2, GUO Yuqing1,2, DING Bo1,2, SUN Jie1,2()   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Special Protective Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
    2 College of Textile Science and Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
  • Received:2024-08-20 Revised:2025-01-07 Online:2025-07-15 Published:2025-08-14
  • Contact: SUN Jie E-mail:sunjie@jiangnan.edu.cn

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Abstract:

Objective Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) can be prepared into microporous membranes by melt processing or solution processing. Aramid nanofibers (ANF) are nano-sized PPTA aramid fibers with excellent mechanical properties. Both ANF and TPU contain amide bonds. From the existing research, the combination of the two can achieve a better composite effect in theory by establishing multiple interactions such as hydrogen bonds. However, there is still a lack of systematic research in this aspect. Hence, ANF was introduced into the preparation of TPU microporous membrane, and the improvement and regulation of ANF on the structure and properties of TPU microporous membrane were analyzed and discussed, and its application in outdoor sportswear was preliminarily investigated.

Method TPU microporous membrane was prepared by wet scraping method based on the non-solvent induced phase separation technology, using DMF as solvent, ethanol as non-solvent and ANF as modifier. Firstly, the regulation effect of different mass fractions of ANF on the internal pores of TPU microporous membrane was discussed. Then, the best formula was selected to coat the fabric, and the properties of the coated fabric were analyzed to explore the application of the microporous membrane in the development of outdoor windproof and warm-keeping fabrics.

Results The ANF/TPU casting solution exhibited Newtonian fluid behavior at low shear rate, and the dispersion was dominated by viscous behavior, showing a liquid-dominated viscoelastic phase. From the microscopic morphology of the composite membrane, the size of the cell was gradually increased and the connectivity between the cell chambers strengthened as the amount of ANF increased. The BET diagram showed that the pore structure of the composite membrane was irregular, and the addition of ANF led to a decrease in the number of macropores in the microporous membrane. IR spectra and XRD patterns showed that ANF had good compatibility with TPU. The air permeability and moisture permeability of the composite membrane were increased with the increase of ANF, and the decrease of water wettability was not obvious. When the mass fraction of ANF was increased to 0.4%, the breaking strength of the microporous membrane reached the maximum of 1.3 MPa, which was 66.7% higher than that of the untreated microporous membrane. When the content of ANF continued to increase, the tensile strength declined slightly, and the elongation at break also showed a similar trend. The 0.4% ANF/TPU composite membrane was selected to coat the nylon Taslon fabric. From the microscopic morphology map, it was found that the interface between the membrane and the fabric is well combined. The coating treatment gave the fabric a gas barrier to maintain good moisture permeability, which significantly improved the mechanical properties of the fabric. The breaking strength and elongation were increased by 92% and 5.2%, respectively, compared with the original fabric.

Conclusion TPU was blended with ANF, and it was found that ANF could adjust the pore size and connectivity of the microporous membrane. With the increase of ANF content, the pore size of the composite membrane gradually increased, and more pores appeared on the bubble wall. This multi-level microporous structure influenced the air permeability, moisture permeability and mechanical properties of the microporous membrane. The 0.4% ANF/TPU composite membrane had excellent mechanical properties. The breaking strength and elongation at break were 1.3 MPa and 400%, respectively, which were 66.7% and 17.5% higher than those of pure TPU membrane, respectively. As the mass fraction of ANF increased to 0.8%, the air permeability and moisture permeability of the composite membrane continued to increase, and the highest values were 2.95 mm/s and 3 315 g/(m2·d), respectively. The 0.8% ANF/TPU composite film with excellent comprehensive performance was adopted to compound with Taslon fabric. It was found that the breaking strength and elongation of the coated fabric were increased by 92% and 5.2%; respectively, compared with the original fabric, which had a good application prospect in the field of outdoor sports.

Key words: thermoplastic polyurethane, aramid nanofiber, microporous membrane, coated fabric, outdoor sports fabric

CLC Number: 

  • TB34

Fig.1

Dumbbell spline diagram"

Fig.2

Rheological properties test result. (a) Shear rate vs. viscosity;(b) Relationship between storage modulus/loss modulus ratio and frequency; (c) Relationship between storage modulus, loss modulus and frequency"

Fig.3

Front surface ( a ), back surface ( b ), whole cross-section ( c ), local cross-section ( d ) and pore size distribution ( e ) of pure TPU microporous membrane."

Fig.4

Front, back, cross-section micro-morphology and cross-section cell size distribution of composite membranes with different ANF mass fractions"

Fig.5

N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and pore size distribution of composite membranes with different ANF mass fractions.(a) Pure TPU microporous membrane; (b) 0.8% ANF/TPU microporons membrane"

Fig.6

Infrared spectra of composite membranes with different ANF mass fractions"

Fig.7

X-ray diffraction patterns of composite membranes with different ANF mass fractions"

Fig.8

Air permeability (a) and moisture permeability (b) of composite membranes with different ANF mass fractions"

Fig.9

Mechanical properties of composite membranes with different ANF mass fractions. (a) Tensile stress-strain curve; (b) Fracture strength and elongation at break"

Fig.10

Microscopic morphologies of coated fabric. (a) Front surface;(b)Back surface;(c)Cross section; (d)Local cross section enlarged image"

Tab.1

Performance indexes of coated fabric"

织物 透气率/
(mm·s-1)		 透湿率/
(g·m-2·d-1)		 接触角/(°) 断裂强度/
MPa		 断裂
伸长率/%
正面 反面
0.8% ANF/TPU覆膜织物 4.301 1 870 123.940 67.148 12.45 64.85
织物原样 114.700 1 992 123.940 123.940 6.48 61.65
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