Super-hydrophilic modification of polyester fabrics based on titanium dioxide/gelatin

Abstract

The comfort of polyester (polyethylene terephthalate or PET)as well as its reusability is greatly affected by its hydrophobicity. To improve the hydrophilicity of PET, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and gelatin were proposed to treat polyester by surface coating in this study. TiO2 and gelatin were selected because of their excellent ecological performance and wide usage. PET fabric had a super-hydrophilic surface and satisfied mechanical properties after various modifications. The synchronous treatment produced a significant effect. The fabric was coated with a dispersion of 4 g/l TiO2 and 5 g/l gelatin by the two-dip and two-rolling process. The static water contact angle of TiO2/gelatin-coated PET fabric reached 0° within 45 s. The results indicated that the PET fabric coated with TiO2/gelatin exhibited remarkable super-hydrophilicity and excellent resistance to wear and washing. Furthermore, the altered fabric underwent evaluation to assess its tensile fracture properties, air permeability, and crease recovery, which influenced its wearability and comfort. These performances demonstrate the potential application of TiO2/gelatin-coated PET fabric in textiles and apparel.