Leathery sheet material and process for the preparation thereof

A process for the preparation of leathery sheet materials having excellent flexibility, antistatic properties and soil resistance which comprises the steps of:

• (1) preparing an organic solvent solution or slurry containing 5 to 30% by weight of a polyurethane composition based on said organic solvent solution or slurry, said polyurethane composition containing 0.1 to 5.0% by weight of a surface active agent based on said polyurethane composition, said surface active agent having a molecular weight of 2,500 to 30,000 and comprising 30 to 80% by weight of a hydrophilic component based on said surface active agent and a hydrophobic component, both the components being combined by a urethane bond and/or an amide bond, said hydrophilic component comprising polyethylene oxides and said hydrophobic component comprising a member selected from the group consisting of (a) polyalkylene oxides excepting polyethylene oxides, (b) aliphatic polyesters and (c) mixtures thereof;
• (2) applying to a fibrous mat the organic solvent solution or slurry of the polyurethane composition, in a dry amount of 10 to 80% by weight of the polyurethane composition based on the total weight of said mat and said polyurethane composition;
• and
• (3) removing the organic solvent from the fibrous mat to solidify the polyurethane composition in the fibrous mat.