Evaluating fluorinated acrylic latices as textile water and oil repellent finishes

Three fluoropolymer latices, two of them commercially available and the thi rd synthesized as a reference material, are applied by padding to wool, cot ton, and polyester fabrics, and their performance is evaluated by means of technological standard test methods for water repellency, oil repellency, f abric hand, and mechanical properties. Surface modifications are further ch aracterized by electron microscopy and less conventional techniques such as static and dynamic contact angle measurements, in order to assess the rele vance of the surface composition and structure, at the microscopic level, f or the observed properties of the fabric at the macroscopic level. The fluo rinated coating does not significantly alter textile hand. Improved water a nd oil repellency, assessed by technological tests, generally correlate wel l to observed static and dynamic contact angle variations, although the lat ter are the result of a combination of contributions, including those deriv ing from composition and morphological heterogeneity of the surface exposed to wetting.