EFFECT OF CROSS-LINKING AGENTS ON WATER REPELLENCY OF COTTON FABRICS TREATED WITH FLUOROCARBON RESIN

Cotton fabrics and cellulose films treated with fluorocarbon resin (As ahi Guard AG-480) with and without crosslinking agents (isocyanate blo cked copolymer and aziridine) were washed and subsequently heat treate d. Water repellency of the fabrics decreased with washing and recovere d with heat treatment. The decreased water repellency with washing was controlled by using the resin with a crosslinking agent. To investiga te surface tension and surface chemical composition of the fabrics aft er washing and subsequent heat treatment, the contact angle to water a nd critical surface tension of the films were measured along with an E SCA analysis of the fabrics. Adding cross-linking agents to the fluoro carbon resin treatment controlled the decrease in F1s intensity and th e increase in O1s intensity with subsequent washing.