Abstract
The aim of this work was to enhance water vapor permeability of bio-polyure- thane thin films, which is essential in non-microporous-type films for applications in breathable fabrics, by hybridizing with silica particles. As the bio-polyurethane, which was synthesized using biomass-based Susterra ® 1,3-propanediol, did not have enough hydro- philicity for a breathable film, the hybridizing effect of hydrophilic nano- or micro-sized sil- ica (SiO2) on the breathability of bio-polyurethane thin films was investigated by measuring the water contact angle and water vapor permeability of the films. It was found that the permeability of the bio-polyurethane film could be significantly enhanced by hybridizing with nano-SiO2 as well as micro-SiO2. It was also observed that the nano-SiO2 was more effective than the micro-SiO2 in improving permeability. It was found that per- meability in bio-polyurethane film could be improved up to more than 100% with nano- SiO2 content at 9 wt%.
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