Micro and nano sized textile topography for improved water repellence

Abstract: Water repellent fabrics with superhydrophobic properties have been constructed during this diploma work. First the fabrics were woven using six different weft yarns creating micro roughness and then a nanoparticle and surface energy lowering treatment was made. Contact angle measurements, contact angle hysteresis measurements, roll-off angle measurements and spray tests were made on the fabrics to investigate the hydrophobicity and water repellence. Also the durability was tested to examine the fastness of the treatments. It was found that the nanoparticles boosted the hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic treatments. Also by varying the size of textile filaments in yarns, the hydrophobicity of the material was affected. In this study, it was found how small textile parameters in the fabric could be changed to increase both durability and water repellence.