LEATHER-LIKE SHEET AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

摘要

A leather-like sheet composed of a micmfine-fiber entangled body made of bundles of microfine fibers and an elastic polymer impregnated therein. The bundles of microfine fibers are composed of microfine monofibers having an average cross-sectional area of 0.1 to 80 µm 2 and have an average cross-sectional area of 40 to 400 µm 2 . The bundles of microfine fibers exist in a density of 600 to 4000/mm 2 on a cross section taken along the thickness direction of the microfine-fiber entangled body. The elastic polymer contains 30 to 100% by mass of a polymer of ethylenically unsaturated monomer. The polymer of ethylenically unsaturated monomer is composed of a soft component having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of less than -5 °C, a crosslinkable component, and optionally a hard component having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of higher than 50 °C and another component. The polymer of ethylenically unsaturated monomer is bonded to the microfine fibers in the bundles of microfine fibers. The leather-like sheet has a flexibility and hand such as dense feeling each resembling natural leathers and a high quality appearance. The leather-like sheet is highly stable in quality such as fastness and surface abrasion resistance and excellent in practical performance.