Microporous polyurethane coatings with chemical barrier properties are being developed for potential use in industrial chemical protective clothing. Ether-rich microporous polyurethane coatings/membranes are known to offer excellent moisture vapor transport properties; however, toxic chemicals can easily permeate their structures. In this effort, to protect from toxic chemicals, super activated carbon is added to the coating. Efforts to produce this unique coating will be discussed, where moisture vapor permeability is achieved by introducing microsized pores throughout the membrane using a water soluble pore former. After curing, the pore former is removed by washing with water. The membrane’s moisture vapor permeability and barrier properties to selected toxic chemicals are tested using a vapor absorptive capacity apparatus and a chemical permeation setup. The structure and the morphology of the membrane are determined using electron microscopy and a nitrogen sorption apparatus, and will be discussed.
PAO #: U17-172
See more of this Group/Topical: Materials Engineering and Sciences Division