Effect of soft segment component on moisture‐permeable polyurethane films

Abstract

Abstract The effect of soft segment component and molecular weight combination on moisture‐permeable polyurethane films was studied. Moreover, water sorption phenomenon in films was observed with infrared analysis. As for soft segment components, PTMG/PEG and PTMG/PPG were used and molecular weight combinations were changed. Different tendency appeared in the experimental results corresponding to PEG system and PPG system. Moisture permeability P in PEG system increased with increasing PEG content, but P changed little in the case of PPG system. Both hydrogen‐bonded concentration by infrared measurement and the higher order term Δ h of Mooney–Rivlin plot by stress–strain relationships indicate the existence of aggregate structure of hard segment. It is considered that ether group in PEG is more active than that in PPG. Therefore, small size of aggregate structure indicated as Δ h appears in PEG system owing to inhibition of aggregate structure growth. Whereas, ether group in PPG system does not inhibit hydrogen bond in urethane group and large size of aggregate structure appears. From water affinity relationship analysis, hydrophilicity of samples with PTMG/PEG = 2000/2000 increased with increasing PEG content. Consequently, it is suggested that not only size but also hydrogen‐bonded concentration of urethane group in aggregate structure affects moisture permeability. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 573–583, 2006