Comparative Analysis of Selected Fluorocarbon-Based Oil and Water-Repellent Finishes on Textiles

Efficacy of selected commercially available fluorocarbon-based finish agents, such as Oleophobol (Huntsman) Fluoroguard SX and Fluoroguard VOX (Britacel Silicones) Nuva HPU (Clariant) TG-581 (Resil) Aquaphobe-SNT (Akkshata), on cotton and polyester fabrics was studied with respect to water and oil repellency. All the finish agents exhibited excellent water- and oil-repellent properties on both kinds of fabrics. The contact angle of water on the finished cotton and polyester fabrics was found to be ≥ 140° Nuva HPU and Oleophobol gave cotton very good protection against rain. Except Aquaphobe SNT, all other finishes imparted excellent oil-repellent property to cotton. In the case of polyester, maximum oil repellency was achieved with Aquaphobe SNT and Fluorogard SX. The finished polyester fabric showed minimal absorption and better resistance to penetration of water as compared to cotton when subject to the Bundesmann water repellency test. There was a slight yellowing of the cotton fabric after the application of Oleophobol finish. There was no effect on the strength of the fabrics. The effect of these finishes on the crease recovery angle and the bending length of cotton was not significant, However, the polyester fabric became slightly stiffer after the application of the finishes. The crease recovery angle of polyester also increased after the application of these finishes. The finished fabrics showed good water repellency up to 15 washes. Oil repellency showed deterioration after only 5 washes and was partially retained up to 15 washes. Both water and oil repellency became negligible after 30 washes.