Can Contact Angle be an Indicator of Fabric Type?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63456/tsrj-2-3-60Keywords:
contact angle, FTIR, SEM, fibers, polymers, identificationAbstract
Recycling of textiles is a major problem and identifying fabric is an important part of it. The aim of this exploratory study was to find out if contact angle can serve as an indicator of fabric type or not. Three samples were successfully identified as cotton-satin polyester blend, poplin, and polyester blend with contact angles 140.72o (almost superhydrophobic), 92.97o (hydrophobic) and 58.22o (hydrophilic) respectively, while the remaining two with fast water absorbency were identified as pure cotton and georgette. It appeared that functional groups, surface treatment, blended material and weave pattern can affect surface roughness enormously. So, contact angle together with FTIR and supported by FESEM can reveal the true identity of an unknown fabric in most cases. A library creation is being proposed for quick reference.
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