Water repellent treatment of cotton fabrics by electron beam irradiation

In this study, traditional dip-pad-cure (DPC) process and electron beam (EB) irradiation were used to graft cotton fabrics with fluorine containing chemical, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl acrylate (PFA). The grafted cotton fabrics were characterized by FT-IR and SEM. The water repellent properties were measured by contact angle, hydrostatic pressure, and spry test. It was found that there was no significant difference between the grafted cotton fabrics with DPC and EB methods, and the treated fabrics showed good water-resistant properties. The grafted cotton fabrics also showed good washing stability. By measuring the bending rigidity and bending hysteresis, it was found that the cotton fabrics grafted with PFA became softer than untreated samples.