4.6 Article

Quality and Quantity Assessment of the Water Repellent Properties of Functional Clothing Materials after Washing

Journal

MATERIALS
Volume 15, Issue 11, Pages -

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/ma15113825

Keywords

hydrophobic textiles; spray test; water repellency; surface properties

Funding

  1. Cracow University of Economics

Ask authors/readers for more resources

This research aimed to evaluate the changes in surface properties of functional clothing materials with water-repellent finishes after washing. The results showed significant changes in the properties, depending on the material composition, structure, and type of finish. The PFC-free finish was found to be the least resistant to washing, and increasing washing frequency led to a gradual decrease in water repellency.
The aim of the research was to evaluate the changes in the surface properties of five functional clothing materials with water-repellent finishes (including PFC-free finish) after 1, 5, and 10 washes with three detergents. A new approach to the interpretation of the water-repellent properties of textile materials is presented, based on two techniques, i.e., the spray test method and contact angle measurements. The results showed that washing materials with hydrophobic finishes can cause significant changes in their properties, which are mainly dependent on the composition and structure of the material, as well as the type of hydrophobic finish. The PFC-free finish is the least resistant to washing. For all materials with PFC finishes, the water repellency depends on the fluorine content on the surface and fabric topography. It was also found that increasing washing frequency resulted in a gradual decrease in water repellency. The loss of water repellency below an acceptable level (Grade 3) occurred after the fifth washing for all materials. Significant differences in the interpretation of the results of the spray test and contact angle measurements were observed. Using these methods separately provides information on the changes in the surface properties of the tested materials; however, their parallel application allows for obtaining complementary data, which is important for the proper interpretation of results.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.6
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available