Surface Modification of Cotton Fabric by Wet Chemical Treatments to Impart Hydrophobicity

Temporary surface modifications of cotton fabrics with different water repellent agents by wet chemical treatments were examined. The hydrophobicity of the treated substrates was determined by contact angle. The results show that the cotton fabric became hydrophobic. Three hydrophobic finishing agents were used in this study. The fabric properties were investigated in terms of moisture regain. Significant changes in properties were observed for the different finished materials. The surface investigation conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided distinctive features of the untreated and treated fabric samples. Elementary analysis was also carried out on the substrate through energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) to confirm the presence of hydrophobic groups. In this study, a unique approach based on the double coating method was found to be a promising technique for modifying cotton fabrics temporarily and the hydrophobic finishing agent was easily removable which in turn would be beneficial for dyeing in supercritical CO2 medium. The method therefore offers great advantages in terms of regaining natural properties of cotton fabrics after suitable modifications.