TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY
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WATER REPELLANT FABRICS

Water Repellant Finished Fabrics : Fabrics on which water “beads” – this is a result of the topical application of a suitable chemical. This chemical application or finish prevents water from spreading and penetrating the fabric because it increases the interfacial tension between the fabric surface and water. The fabric must be closely structured for a water repellant treatment to work successfully. Water repellants are hydrophobic chemicals that form films on the fibers. They do not fill the interstices/void of the fiber.

There are 5 main types of water repellant chemicals. They are as follows:

  1. Wax Emulsion : These are the least expensive hydrophobic chemicals but they provide excellent water repellency—particularly on properly structured cellulose fabrics. However, these are not durable for washing or dry cleaning.
  2. Pyridinium-based : These long-chain fatty amides and wax resin mixtures are durable under washing and dry-cleaning.
  3. Silicone : This can be applied to widest range of fabrics. They are particularly suited to the treatment of filament fabrics. Silicones make possible a high-degree of water repellency and are also durable under washing and dry-cleaning.
  4. Organic-Chromium : These are excellent for synthetic fiber fabrics and have good results on wool. They have good longevity under dry-cleaning and moderate longevity under washing.
  5. Fluorochemical : These are unique in that they confer oil repellency while providing durable water repellency.
WHY THIS YAMAMOTO RUBBER IS BETTERTECHNICAL TERMINOLOGY COMFORTAESTHETICDURABILITYFIBERSFABRICSWATER REPELLANTNEOPRENECONSTRUCTION