# Hydrophobic Modification of Thermoplastic Polyurethane for Application in Waterproof and Moisture-Permeable Membranes

## TL;DR

This paper modifies thermoplastic polyurethane films to make them more water-resistant while maintaining moisture permeability, improving their performance in textiles.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the hydrophobic modification of TPU using PDMS, which significantly reduces water absorption and improves waterproof properties.

## Key findings

- PDMS modification reduced TPU surface energy by 10.56 mJ/m² and increased water contact angle to 105°.
- The modified TPU showed a significantly lower water absorption rate compared to unmodified TPU.
- The resulting microporous membrane achieved high moisture permeability of 8651.34 g/(m²·24 h).

## Abstract

Conventional thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films are commonly used in the field of waterproof and moisture-permeable textiles because of their excellent mechanical properties and flexibility. However, the high water absorption of TPU films limits their application in sophisticated waterproof and moisture-permeable products, particularly in extremely humid environments, where it may compromise the waterproof performance of textiles and negatively affect the wearing comfort. Therefore, to enhance the durability of these films, TPU was hydrophobically modified with end-hydroxy polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Because of its unique low-surface-energy properties and excellent hydrophobicity, PDMS substantially reduces the surface energy of the films and provides them with excellent water repellency, effectively addressing the excessive water absorption issue of TPU films. On this basis, a microporous film featuring waterproof and moisture-permeable properties is produced using phase conversion technology. Compared with that of the unmodified sample, the surface energy of silicone-modified TPU (Si-TPU) decreased by 10.56 mJ/m2. Furthermore, the water contact angle increased from 83° to 105°, whereas the water absorption rate considerably reduced after the modification. Moreover, Si-TPU was employed for the fabrication of a microporous membrane, which displayed exceptional moisture permeability (8651.34 g/(m2⸱24 h)).