Waterproof fabric

What is waterproof Fabric?

Date: 2025/1/2   By: Winnie

Waterproof Fabric is a special requirement for clothing performance, and there are two types: water-repellent and water-proof.

1. Water-repellent Fabric

Usually the waterproofing required in the business is an abbreviated name. The correct name is “water repellent”. The common method is: add the additive of the hydrophobic compound to the liquid tank at the feeding place of the setting machine, the fabric is introduced into the liquid tank, and the immersion and drying are completed, and the hydrophobic compound is deposited on the fiber surface.

The hydrophobic compound can change the surface tension of the fiber to limit its activity, reduce the adsorption force of water molecules on the fiber (the surface tension of the fiber is less than the cohesion of water molecules), and the water forms rolling water droplets on the cloth surface (like a lotus leaf “pushing away” dew), which is also called “water repellent”, abbreviated as W/R. 

Water-Repellent Fabric

The pores of fabrics allow air and water vapor to pass through, but if water stays for too long or under a certain pressure, it will still penetrate or even absorb water. When wearing water-repellent clothing on rainy days, water droplets can roll off or be shaken off, but whether the inner layer of the clothing and the underwear inside will get wet depends on the amount of rain and the time it stays in the rain. The water-repellent effect on the surface of clothing will also gradually decay with washing and long-term use until it becomes ineffective. Therefore, water-repellent actually reduces the adsorption of water by the fabric, not true complete waterproofness, but we usually call it “waterproof”.

2. Water-proof Fabric

Waterproof is the real waterproof, which means to resist and block the penetration of water.

Real waterproof fabric can crush water-repellent fabrics in terms of waterproof durability. Their physical and chemical properties are more stable and usually will not become ineffective due to washing and long-term use. The purpose of real waterproof treatment is to form an anti-penetration barrier on one side of the fabric, which requires a very high water pressure resistance index, such as a 3000mm water column or above.

Waterproofing methods

Anti-penetration generally means to make a rubber base or film on the bottom surface of the fabric to achieve the effect of blocking water penetration. Common methods include coating and lamination.

The coating is to apply fabric coating glue or film on one side of the fabric to form a waterproof film to achieve the function of anti-penetration. Common methods include direct coating (dry method, wet method, hot melt) and transfer coating.

The lamination method is mostly to make the fabric compound a layer of waterproof film material (commonly known as “waterproof film”) to form a whole. Regardless of whether the fabric is waterproof or not, the waterproof film attached to the fabric always plays a role in waterproof penetration; another way of lamination is hot melt calendering, which allows the fabric to be bonded with a layer of polymer waterproof film to become a whole, so as to achieve the purpose of waterproof penetration.

waterproof methods

The performance of true waterproof (anti-penetration) is measured and judged by the water pressure resistance value, which is expressed in “millimeter high water column”. A fixed area of waterproof fabric is used to block the water in the test container from penetrating from the contact surface to the other side (surface). When the water pressure is continuously increased, the corresponding water pressure value when the third drop of water seeps out of the surface is the water pressure resistance value of the fabric. Generally, fabrics with a water pressure resistance of more than 1000mm high water column can achieve basic waterproof capabilities.

BOSTON Scrub also provides waterproof fabrics, please contact us if you need them.

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