Chapter-12

Water & fabric relationship

 Water-proof:
To treat textile material with fats, waxes or rubber to prevent the
absorption of water. The additions may be-
 Physical films.
 Physical coatings.
 Physically combined.
The feature of a water proof (fabric) is the low degree of permeability to
air. Ex:- Umbrella
 Water repellent:
A state characterized by the non-spreading of a globule of water on a
textile material. Ex:- Rain coat.
 Shower proof:
To treat textile materials in a manner to delay the absorption and
penetration of water.
Details:
 Shower proofing of fabric is often achieved by coating them with a
thin film of hydraulic compound such as silicone. The film covers
the surface of the individual fibers making them water repellent.
 When a fabric has been treated in this way, a drop of water on the
surface does not spread. The process leaves the gaps in the fabric
weave untouched so keeping it quite permeable to air & water
vapour. Water can penetrate the fabric if strikes it with sufficient
force as in heavy rain.
  A shower proof fabric can also be produced by a correct choice of
yarn & fabric construction to give a very tight weave, which
physically keeps the water out, an example of this is the gabardine
construction used in “coats”.
 Lotus effect:
 Exist in the latest air breathable fabric
 If this effects is applied in the fabric, it won’t absorb water but will
breathe air for comfortness, previously which was unavailable.
 Tests for water repellency:
1. The wetting time test.
2. The spray rating test.
3. The drop penetration test.
4. Shirley hydrostatic head test: Penetration of fabric by water under
pressure.
 Tests for water absorbency:
1. Wicking test
2. Sinking time test
 Tests for wet ability of hydrophilic fibers:
1. Wet ability test
 What is wettability?
 Wettability is defined as the time in seconds, for a drop of water or
50% sugar solution to sink into the fabric.
 Fabrics that give times exceeding 200 second are considered
unwettable.
 Sinking time: (For water absorbency test)
Principle: This is a simple test for highly absorbed materials in which
a) A (25× 25) mm piece of fabric or 50 mm length of yarn taken out
of fabric is dropped onto the surface of a bath containing distilled
water.
 b) The length of time it takes to sink is measured.
Result: If the sample does not sink within 1 min, its considered as having
floated (i.e. no absorbency power).
The Bundesmann test
 Fabric sample is mounted over a special cup or bezel and subjected
to a shower or water from a multi-nozzle drop producer.
 Water which penetrates the fabric is collected in the bezels and
measured, so also is the water which is retained by the fabric
specimen.
 The shower produces is mounted 150 cm above the cup or bezel.
As the fabric circulate in the shower of water, special wipers inside
the bezel rub the underside of the specimens in order to reproduce
mechanically the rubbing action. This rubbing action will help the
water to penetrate the fabric.

 After a 10 min the fabric specimen is removed and two values are
determined.
Result:
I. Penetration: The water collected in the bezel is measured and the
mean volume calculated to the nearest milliliter.
II. Absorption: From the weight of specimen before and after the test,
the % of water retained by specimen is calculated by:
Weight of water absorbed
100
Original wt of the specimen

The mean of the four results is calculated and reported to the nearest
1 percentage.
Wicking test or wetting by wicking

 Test procedure:
1. A strip of fabrics is suspended vertically in a reservoir of distilled
water & the rate of water rise is observed.
2. But only the lower edge of the strip is suspended.
3. And the dimension of strip is (2” × 2"). [ In an experiment by
Garner]
4. It’s immersed in water at 200 C for 20 seconds.
5. Then its removed from the reservoir & weighed.
 Calculation:
 From it’s known dry weight & measured wet weight, the water
absorbed % is measured.
 Garner states that, good toweling should absorb 100% of its own
weight.

Spray rating test

 Introduction: It’s a test which is particularly used in shower proof
finishes.
 Principle: In this test, a continuous shower of water is produced or
sprayed onto the specimen. After tapping the water from the
specimen it’s judged with spray rating chart. [AATCC: American
association of Textile Chemists & colorists, recommended]
  Apparatus:
1. Specimen (150mm square)
2. Embroidery (150mm in dia)
3. A funnel (19 holes)
4. Specimen holder
5. 250ml distilled water
 Test:
1. A specimen is kept on a specimen holder on the hoop which is at
an 45 degree angle to table.
2. Then into the funnel 250ml water is poured at 20 degree C.
3. From the funnel continuous shower is sprayed onto the specimen.
4. After the spraying is finished the specimen & its holder is removed
& the specimen is tapped 6 times against a solid surface to remove
the surplus water/ (large water drops) from specimen.
5. Then the specimen is graded / assessed for its water repellency
against the spray rating chart. [AATCC recommended]
 Spray rating chart:
Grade Assessment
1 Complete wetting of the whole sprayed surface.
2 Wetting of more than half of the sprayed surface.
3 Wetting of sprayed surface only at a small discrete areas.
4 No wetting but adherence of small drops to the sprayed
surface.
5 No wetting & no adherence of drops (100% water
repellent)
 Shirley Hydrostatic Head test
 Introduction: It’s a test which is intended for a closely woven,
water repellent fabric.
 Principle: The hydrostatic head supported by a fabric is a
measurement of the pressure of water through a fabric.

 Construction:
1. This machine consists of a double chambered cell (A&C)
2. Air/compressed air enters into (C) through a tube (B) & displaces
the water from (C) to (A) through a small passage.
3. The skirt (E) prevents air leaking across specimen from (C) to (A).
4. (B) is connected U-tube monometer (D) to measure pressure across
specimen.
5. The maximum head attainable is 150cm of water.
 Working procedure:
1. A circular specimen whose one face is in contact with the water
which is subjected to a steadily increasing pressure until it
penetrates the fabric.
2. This circular specimens are clamped between rubber gaskets over
the water filling chamber at chamber (A).
3. Air supply is turned on & monometer measures the pressure on
(cm) of water.
4. Until water penetrates at 3 separate places on specimen surface,
the pressure is allowed to increase.
5. The pressure is calculated from manometer at the appearance of
3rd drop (Similarly 5 specimens are tested & mean result is
calculated).
Shrinkage test
 Preparation of specimen:
1. At first the specimen is conditioned in a standard testing
atmosphere.
2. Then specimen is marked out with indelible ink or fast dyed sewing
thread.
3. Usually 3 pairs of datum lines are marked out in each direction.
 Washing: In a washing machine with relevant washing solution the
specimen is washed out. After the specified time is elapsed out, the
sample is rinsed.
 Drying: After rinsing the surface water is removed by centrifuge or
hand-squeezing etc. And therefore drying is completed by flat
heated press or heated flat iron.
 Conditioning & re-measuring: After drying the specimen is
conditioned in a standard testing atmosphere & the distances
between datum line is re-measured.
  % shrinkage: The required calculations are:
100(𝐿0−𝐿1) (𝐿0−𝐿1)
% shrinkage = S = =[ × 100] %
𝐿0 𝐿0

L0 = The distance between the datum lines before washing

L1 = The distance between the datum lines after washing.
Differences
 Differences between water proof & repellent fabric:-
SL Topics Water proof Water repellent
1 Pores in Filled Open
material
2 Air Small/Nill Large
permeability
3 Water Small/nill Large
permeability
4 Vapor Small/nill Large
permeability
5 Characteristics Resistance to passage of Resistance to water
of goods water even under hydro and rain and spread of
static head. water but permits
water under
hydrostatic head.
Fabric are stiff and not Fabric are pliable and
pliable are not different from
untreated fabrics.