Water Repellent Finish

• Water repellant finish is different from the

waterproof finish. It means water, if showered
on the fabric briefly, cannot make the fabric
wet. However, water can still get through the
fabric if we continue to shower on it.
 Water Repellent Finish
• Water Repellent is a processing agent that covers
the surface of fiber by nanoparticle compound and
gives the fabric excellent water repellency. It also
provides washing durability.
• Water repellent is often used for the final goods
below;

Outdoor garments, Suit, Coat, Umbrella, Carpet,

Surgical gown,
Automotive engine filter, Cardboard, etc...
 Waterproof finish
• When a uniform coating of suitable
substances such as rubber is produced on the
surface of the fabric, the inter stitches
between the warp and weft yarns are blocked
by the continuous film of that substances and
water will not pass through the fabric. This
phenomena is known as water proof finishes.
 Waterproof vs. Water Repellent
• However, the rubber treated fabric becomes
impermeable to air as well as moisture, when
a treated fabric is impermeable to water and
air then this type of finishes is called water
proof finish.
• When the protection from water is desired as
in apparel purpose, the treated fabric should
be permeable to air but not in water. This type
of finish is called water repellent finish.
AATCC Water Repellency Test of Fabric by Spray Rating Tester

• According to the “American Association of

Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC),” a
visual photographic chart should be used to
give a rating on water repellency. Tested
material’s final result is given by comparing
the chart and appearance of the actual fabric.
Apparatus
 Apparatus

• Spray Tester
• Scissors
• Fabric
• Measuring cylinder
• Thermometer
• Water
 Precaution

To carry out the test, water temperature should

be accurate, and it should be at 70 Degree F and
should be poured steadily during the test. A
bucket should be under the instrument to catch
the water while testing.
 Sample Preparation

• The sample should be conditioned at least 4

hours in the STD testing environment and
should be cut accordingly to fit it in the 6-inch
diameter embroidery hoop, and we need to
cut 5 samples.
 Atmosphere

• The standard atmosphere for testing should

be maintained, because moisture content may
change the weighting of the sample and
jeopardize the result. So the temperature
should be near 20°c ± 2°c and the humidity
should be near 65% ± 2%.
 Working Procedure
• At first, we should fix the fabric sample into the
specimen hoop
• Then, specimen hoop should be placed into the
instrument’s specimen area, which is inclined at an
angle of 45°
• Now we fill up the measurement cylinder with
approximately 250 ml of water and check the
temperature to ensure if it’s in 75 degree F.
• After that, we steadily pore the water at the top of the
instrument, which looks like a funnel.
Working Procedure
 Working Procedure
• When all the water is showered, the fabric
specimen is observed and compared with the
AATCC visual scale.
• In total, five tests are done, and the value is
taken to the nearest rating since interpolation
is prohibited. The data of tests are kept.
• The average is calculated from all the test
data, and it’s our main result.
 Standard Spray Test Rating
Rating Meaning
100 No wetting of upper surface
90 Slight random wetting of upper surface
80 Wetting of upper surface at spray point
70 Partial wetting of whole upper surface
50 Complete wetting of whole upper surface
0 Complete wetting of whole lower and upper surface