Journal of Appliance Science & Technology ›› 2025, Vol. 0 ›› Issue (3): 20-23.doi: 10.19784/j.cnki.issn1672-0172.2025.03.002

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Study on fluorine-free water-repellent finishing process and waterproof performance in the household tumble dryer care context

FU Jiali1, ZHOU Yingxiao2, QIU Luyi2, XU Bi3, DING Xuemei1,4   

  1. 1. College of Fashion and Design, Donghua University Shanghai 200051;
    2. Panasonic Appliances (China) Co., Ltd. Hangzhou 310018;
    3. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Donghua University Shanghai 201620;
    4. Key Laboratory of Clothing Design & Technology (Donghua University), Ministry of Education Shanghai 200051
  • Published:2025-08-19

Abstract: To address the high cost and energy consumption associated with restoring the diminished waterproof performance of traditional waterproof garments after home laundering, this study explores a novel approach for fabric water-repellent functionalization using household tumble dryers. Untreated pure nylon fabric was selected as the test specimen. By establishing a treatment system involving off-machine spraying followed by in-dryer treatment, we systematically investigated the effects of fluorine-free water-repellent agent concentration (SH-A), add-on level (o.w.f), drying duration, fabric movement pattern, and initial moisture content on the water-repellent performance of pure nylon fabric.The study found that within the home laundry context, untreated pure nylon fabric treated with a fluorine-free process (5% SH-A concentration, 1.29% o.w.f, 65°C, static drying for 20 minutes) exhibited significantly enhanced water repellency. The water spray rating improved from Grade 2.0 to Grade 4.5, and the static water contact angle reached 133.2°. Importantly, the moisture vapor transmission rate remained high at 2576±2 g/m²·d, air permeability decreased by only 1.67%, and fabric hand feel showed no significant alteration. These results demonstrate that this approach achieves excellent water-repellent functionalization suitable for household application.

Key words: Household tumble dryer, Fluorine-free water-repellent finishing, Drying, Waterproof performance, Finishing process

CLC Number: