Development of super-hydrophobic and stain repellent fabric finish

Abstract

This study intended to develop a health and environmental friendly super-hydrophobic textile fabric using a specific Fluoro Silane (Fs) finish. A novel Fs finish was prepared and applied on an acrylic fabric using a pad-dry-cure method. The finished fabric was evaluated for the degree of hydrophobicity, durability and stain repellency. The finished fabric exhibited static water contact angle greater than 170° and received 90 AATCC (4 ISO) rating that is recognized as super-hydrophobicity and this property was maintained even after a 50,000 cycle abrasion test. FTIR analysis identified the characteristic peaks related Si-O-Si and C-F asymmetric stretching bands of the finish on the fabric indicating a robust attachment of the finish on the fabric. Finish fabric did not show any change in appearance or tactile characteristics of the fabric.