Fluorine-Free Waterproof and Breathable Nanofibrous Membranes with Thermal-Insulation and Anti-icing Performances
摘要
Poly (styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) is inherently hydrophobic and displays good processing performance, excellent elasticity and tensile strength. Therefore, SBS is an ideal material for preparing waterproof and breathable membranes. Nevertheless, SBS nanofibrous membranes prepared by electrospinning are not superhydrophobic, and their performance can be further improved. In this study, hydrophobic silicon dioxide (SiO2) and SBS-based nanofibrous membranes were created by electrospinning at first, and then they were exposed to UV irradiation. Due to the incorporation of SiO2, the nanofibrous membranes exhibited superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. The obtained membranes also exhibited good waterproof and breathable properties. The maximum hydrostatic pressure and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) reached 80.6 kPa and 11.9 kg m−2 day−1, respectively. The cooling and anti-icing performances of the membranes were also investigated for expanding their applications. Compared with SBS nanofibrous membrane, the SBS/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes displayed better thermal-insulation and anti-icing performances. The developed SBS/SiO2 nanofibrous membranes can find many applications such as protective clothing and waterproof coatings.