Abstract

This study systematically elucidates the moisture permeation behaviour of natural suede under practical usage conditions through a dual-scale investigation encompassing microscopic transport mechanisms and macroscopic mathematical modelling. At the microscopic level, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, 10,000×) was employed to examine the morphology and structure of suede fibres, revealing their dense arrangement and porous nature. Combined with porous media diffusion theory, a qualitative mechanistic analysis was further conducted to assess the influence of key structural parameters, including porosity and tortuosity, on water vapour transport. At the macroscopic experimental level, the effects of three factors—thickness (0.8–1.2mm), temperature (45–60°C), and time (0–6h)—on the water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) were systematically investigated. Based on the experimental data, a ternary cubic regression prediction model with WVTR as the response was successfully developed using response surface methodology (RSM). The model was visualised through three-dimensional response surface plots and two-dimensional contour plots, which intuitively revealed the complex interactions among the factors and identified a potential parameter zone for optimal moisture permeability—specifically, the combination interval of 0.9–1.0mm thickness, 55–60°C temperature, and 1–2h duration. From a multi-scale correlation perspective, this research deepens the understanding of the moisture permeation mechanism in suede and provides a solid theoretical foundation along with a practical analytical toolkit for regulating the performance of suede materials in functional products and precisely optimising process parameters.