Water-, oil-, and soil-repellent treatment of textiles, artificial leather, and leather

Several products are on the market to realize water-, oil-, and soil-repellent properties on textiles or textile-related materials. To make an adequate and fast rating of repellent properties of finished textiles, different drop tests according to AATCC and ISO standards are commonly used. For evaluation of the repellent properties of solid substrates against different liquids often contact angle measurements are performed. The aim of the work presented here is to determine and evaluate the repellent effects gained by the application of three different finishing agents on three different substrates, such as polyester fabric, artificial leather, and leather. The main questions are at that point: It is possible to gain similar repellent effects with the same finishing product applied on different substrates? Do the different testing methods lead to comparable results? Is there a relation to the repellency against everyday consumer products as red wine, ice tea, or coffee? This article should help the reader to evaluate different testing methods and the influence on common substrates.