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Waterproof and breathable polyacrylonitrile/(polyurethane/fluorinated-silica) composite nanofiber membrane via side-by-side electrospinning

  • Organic and Hybrid Functional Materials
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Abstract

Electrospun membranes have potential applications in the field of waterproof and breathable textile products. However, challenges still exist to improve the breathability, and waterproof and mechanical properties of these microporous membranes. In this paper, a novel hydrophobic microporous nanofiber membrane was prepared via side-by-side electrospinning of fluorosilane-modified silica nanoparticles (F–SiO2) blended with synthesized polyurethane (PU) solution and composited with the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solution. To prepare F–SiO2, SiO2 nanoparticles were hydrophobically modified by fluorosilane. Composite nanofiber membranes with different blending ratios of PU(F–SiO2)/PAN were fabricated via side-by-side electrospinning by controlling the extruding speed of two spinnerets. Experimental results indicated that regarding F–SiO2 as hydrophobic inorganic particle can improve the hydrophobic properties of PU nanofiber membrane. The prepared PAN/(F–SiO2/PU) nanofiber microporous membranes exhibit relatively excellent waterproof and mechanical properties as that robust tensile strength (19.5 MPa), preferable water vapor permeability [10.3 kg/(m2 d)], favorable water contact angle (137.2°), and superior mechanical properties. It was believed that the reinforced PAN/(F–SiO2/PU) nanofibrous composite membranes have potential applications in chemical protective clothing, army combat uniforms, self-cleaning materials, and other medical products.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11702169), Shanghai Local Capacity-Building Project (No. 19030501200), Scientific Research Staring Foundation of Shanghai University of Engineering Science (Grant No. 2017-19), and Talents Action Program of Shanghai University of Engineering Science (Grant No. 2017RC522017). This work was also supported by Talents Action Program of Shanghai University of Engineering Science (Grant No. 2017RC432017).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Yunge Yu, Yan Liu, Zhenlin Jiang & Xiaoxiao Peng

  2. The Naval Medical I Research Institute, Naval Medical Research Institute, Shanghai, 200433, China

    Fuli Zhang

  3. School of Textiles and Fashion, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Yuansheng Zheng & Binjie Xin

  4. Institute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China

    Shixin Jin

Authors
  1. Yunge Yu
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  2. Fuli Zhang
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  3. Yan Liu
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  4. Yuansheng Zheng
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  5. Binjie Xin
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  6. Zhenlin Jiang
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  7. Xiaoxiao Peng
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  8. Shixin Jin
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Correspondence to Yan Liu or Binjie Xin.

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Yu, Y., Zhang, F., Liu, Y. et al. Waterproof and breathable polyacrylonitrile/(polyurethane/fluorinated-silica) composite nanofiber membrane via side-by-side electrospinning. Journal of Materials Research 35, 1173–1181 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2020.88

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2020.88

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