Development and Study of Waterproof Breathable Fabric Using Silicone Oil and Polyurethane Binder

The focus of this study is on determining the optimum combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic components in coating material to obtain high breathability and waterproof properties. Polyurethane binder and silicone oil were used in eight different combinations to coat the fabric along with one sample with 100% polyurethane binder for control. A knife-over-roll coating machine was used to coat the fabric. The coated samples were tested by using the Sweating Guarded Hot Plate method for breathability and the spray test and contact angle method for waterproof properties. Results obtained from the tests showed that fabric coated with an 80%-20% and 85%-15% polyurethane-silicone oil combination displayed best performance in terms of waterproof and breathable properties. The research also concludes that with a decrease in percentage of silicone in the material, there is an increase in breathability as well as waterproof properties of fabric, and best performance is achieved when its percentage is between 20 and 25%.