Durable Hydrophobic Treatment of Cotton Fabrics with Glycidyl Stearate

Glycidyl stearate (GS) obtained by reaction of sodium stearate with epichlorohydrin in the presence of dimethylformamide (DMF) was used for durable hydrophobic finishing of cotton fabrics. The presence of glycidyl stearate on hydrophobic treated cellulose fiber was put into evidence by FTIR, SEM, and EDX analyses. The hydrophobicity of the treated sample was assessed by determination of the water contact angles and absorption times of the water drops. The effects of glycidyl ester concentration, temperature, and duration of curing treatment on hygroscopicity, air permeability, whiteness, and tensile strength were evaluated. The best results regarding the use of glycidyl stearate as a hydrophobization agent (water contact angle is 152, absorption time of water drop is 200 min) were obtained for the samples treated with 60 g/L glycidyl stearate and 10 g/L NaOH at 120 °C condensation temperature for 20 min. The durability of hydrophobic treatment was also examined.