Structure and Properties of Polytetrafluorethylene and Polyurethane Layered Membrane for Protective Clothing

This paper presents a new idea for intensifying protective and stretch recovery properties of micro porous polytetrafluorethylene and hydrophilic polyurethane (PTFE/PU) layered membrane through a co-stretching process. The structure and properties of co-stretching PTFE/PU layered membrane and coated PTFE/PU layered membrane by means of directly coating the PU on the PTFE membrane were investigated using Electron Microscope, Universal Materials Testing Machine, and the water vapor permeability (WVP) was measured according to absorption method of water vapor of GB/T 12704-91. Contrasted to PU coating process, the PU membrane on the co-stretching PTFE/PU membrane is nonporous because of heat treatment process, which can prevent the SARS virus from permeating the Co-stretching PTFE/PU membrane. The stretch and recovery properties of the Co-stretching PTFE/PU membrane is at least 66% after being stretched to 50% of its original length in transverse directions and that of the coated PTFE/PU membrane is 52%. The WVP of the Co-stretching PTFE/PU membrane is 13 523 g/24 h·m^2. The results suggest that when Co-stretching PTFE/PU membrane is laminated to a stretchable fabric, the fabric would have excellent stretch and recovery properties while waterproof and being permeable to water vapor. So, the Co-stretching PTFE/PU membrane laminated fabric will be a comfortable protective clothing material.