Preparation of superhydrophobic polyester fabric for swimsuits using amino silicon micro-emulsion

Abstract

Enhancement the hydrophobicity of polyester fabric was developed to help the swimming performance of athletes by adding buoyancy, stability and speed. Increasing the hydrophobicity was carried out by chemical treatment of pre-treated polyester fabric with different specifications using amino-silicon (AS) micro-emulsion. The pretreatment of the fabric was carried out either chemically (i.e. saponification) or physically (i.e. plasma radiation) to allow the chemical reaction between AS and polyester fabric. The effect of the treatment on some physical properties of the fabric viz., air and water permeability, wettability, contact angle and wicking were studied. The alteration in the chemical composition of the untreated and treated fabrics was monitored using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray Diffraction Pattern (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) displayed the surface of the polyester fabric after treatment and the distribution of the AS over the fabric. The results showed that treatment of polyester fabric with AS increased the hydrophobicity of the fabric and that was clear from the data of wettability, contact angle and wicking test without any deterioration in the chemical or mechanical properties of the fabric.