The role of hydrophilic finishes in frictional electrification and charge decay of woven fabric from polyester

Abstract

The effect of different concentrations of Hydroperm T (a hydrophilic surface finishes) on the electrostatic charging and decay properties of filament polyester fabrics, has been investigated. The fabric was subjected to frictional charging with steel and PTFE (Teflon®) and the electrostatic properties were investigated. The technique adopted not only measured the charge in the location of the tribocharging, but was also able to assess the distribution and dissipation of the charge across the surface of the fabric. While the charge decay for the untreated fabric was slow and linear, a double exponential charge decay was observed on the samples treated with Hydroperm^® T finish. The charge generated on the fabric treated with higher concentration (0.5%) Hydroperm^® T finish decayed very quickly when compared to the other samples. Resistivity measurements indicate that the Hydroperm^® T treated samples have lower resistivity when compared with the untreated samples.