Influence of membrane structure and properties on water vapor permeability of membrane materials

The paper considers the influence of membrane layer thickness, its sorption and mass transfer properties on the vapor permeability of membrane textile materials for waterproof clothing. Two - layer textile materials containing a textile woven layer and a membrane microporous sponge layer made of hydrophilic, hydrophobic and combined polymers are investigated. Images obtained by scanning electron microscopy are presented characteristic of each of the groups of samples under consideration. It was revealed that despite the external similarity of the microscope observed structures of the samples grouped according to the principle of membrane hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, the materials are characterized by different mass conductivity coefficients. The authors of the article confirmed that the membrane mass conductivity coefficient is a value that simultaneously takes into account both the ability to be wetted by water and the properties of the porous structure of the polymer membrane. The membrane mass conductivity coefficient linearly correlates with the water permeability of the complex material.