摘要

In this study, chitosan with a specific molecular weight was added into a commercialized waterborne polyurethane to form a polyurethane/chitosan bio-composite emulsion, and this was used to treat wool fabric to obtain an anti-felting effect. The mechanical property of the treated fabric was also measured. The results showed that the addition of chitosan to polyurethane enabled the total dosage of polymer to be reduced by 45% while still retaining the anti-felting properties. The treatment endowed wool fabric with a comparatively soft handle. The influence of the molecular weight of chitosan for this application was investigated. The mechanical properties of films of the polyurethane and the polyurethane/chitosan bio-composite were measured as well as the thermal properties. The tensile strength of the films increased with the addition of chitosan to the polyurethane, but the elongation decreased. The composite films were found to be more thermally stable and degradable than the polyurethane alone.