Water and Oil Repellent Cotton Fabrics via Coating with Electron Beam Curable Formulation.

Cotton fabric was coated with trifunctional urethane methacrylate (UMAc) under the effect of electron beam irradiation to impart high hydrophobic and oleophobic characters to be suitable for furniture and tent usage. Acetone as a solvent in the presence of castor oil as a plasticizer was added to the formulation. Electron beam irradiation was proven to give the best homogenous fast curing of the formulation. The surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) proved core coating and thickening of the fibers. The results indicated that the crease recovery and mechanical properties of coated fabrics were increased significantly, giving high-performance fabric. The water absorption, water vapor permeability, and hydrophobicity of the treated fabrics toward water and aqueous liquids (tea and juice) were found to decrease. Oil repellency of the treated fabrics against different oils (clove, castor, and vegetable oils) was also studied. The contact angle for water-based and oil-based solutions was increased to reach 85° and 68° for tea and clove oil, respectively. Consequently, the results indicated that the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of cotton fabrics were enhanced abruptly after the treatment process, accompanied by a slight increase in their thermal stability.