Green-Solvent-Processed Fibrous Membranes with Water/Oil/Dust-Resistant and Breathable Performances for Protective Textiles.

ABSTRACT

Waterproof and breathable membranes (WBMs) are highly demanded worldwide due to their promising applications in outdoor protective clothing, medical hygiene, and electronic devices. However, the design of such materials integrated with environmental friendliness and high functionality has been considered a long-standing challenge. Herein, we report the green-solvent-processed polyamide fibrous membranes with amphiphobicity and bonding structure via ethanol-based electrospinning and water-based impregnating techniques, endowing the fibrous membranes with outstanding water/oil/dust-resistant and good breathable properties. The developed green smart fibrous membranes exhibit integrated properties with robust water and oil intrusion pressures of 101.2 and 32.4 kPa, respectively, excellent dust removal efficiency of above 99.9%, good water vapor transmission rate of 11.2 kg m-2 d-1, air permeability of 2.6 mm s-1, tensile strength of 15.6 MPa, and strong toughness of 22.8 MJ m-3, enabling the membranes to protect human beings and electronic devices effectively. This work may shed light on designing the next generation green smart fibrous WBMs for protective textiles.