Preparation of a multifunctional mulberry silk fabric having hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces using VUV excimer lamp

A multifunctional silk fabric has been prepared with one face having hydrophobic and another having hydrophilic properties. Fluorocarbon based finish was used to impart hydrophobicity, followed by irradiation on one side of the fabric with 172 nm UV excimer lamp for imparting hydrophilicity. Treated samples were characterised by contact angle measurements, horizontal wicking, air permeability, bending length, and crease recovery angle. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the treated surface was carried out by atomic force microscope (AFM). The contact angle decreased with irradiation time on the irradiated surface, without affecting the hydrophobic effect on the other side of the fabric. The wickability of the samples was improved significantly at higher irradiation time of 5 min and 10 min. Upon hydrophobic finish application, the fabric properties such as air permeability, bending length were least affected while the crease recovery was improved noticeably. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.