Wear-Resistant Hydrophobic Coatings from Low Molecular Weight Polytetrafluoroethylene Formed on a Polyester Fabric

The paper presents a comparative analysis of the surface structure and morphology of hydrophobic coatings formed on a polyester fabric from various types of low molecular weight tetrafluoroethylenes by a new method. The low molecular weight compounds used include: ultrafine polytetrafluoroethylene of the FORUM® trademark prepared through thermo-gas-dynamic decomposition of industrial polytetrafluoroethylene waste, and tetrafluoroethylene telomers, synthesized by radiation-chemical initiation from fluoromonomers in acetone, butyl chloride and trimethylchlorosilane solutions. The formation of coatings consists in deposition of low molecular weight tetrafluoroethylenes from solutions in supercritical carbon dioxide and organic solvents. The contact angle and water absorption of the polyester fabric with coatings containing the specified water-repellents are determined. The resistance of the achieved effect to various types of wear—washing, dry cleaning and abrasionis evaluated. The hydrophobic properties of the fabric are found to be affected by the coating plasticity characterized by the stiffness coefficient. The importance of this indicator to targeted changes in fabric properties is proved. All the considered types of low molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are shown to be effective water-repellents for the polyester fabric.