Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Non-fluorinated Omniphobic Coatings for Stain Resistant Textiles

EPA Contract Number: EPD15029
Title: Non-fluorinated Omniphobic Coatings for Stain Resistant Textiles
Investigators: Barney, William S
Small Business: TIAX, L.L.C.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2015 through February 29, 2016
Project Amount: $99,964
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2015) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Toxic Chemicals

Description:

In this program, TIAX pursued the development of a non-fluorinated textile finishing treatment for the production of textile fabrics with omniphobic properties. Currently, fluorinated treatments are widely used to confer hydrophobic and oleophobic performance properties to fabrics, but the fluorinated materials employed in these treatments have been associated with adverse health and environmental effects.  Consequently, there is broad-based interest in functional alternatives to traditional fluorinated treatments.  The new functional textile coating developed by TIAX responds to this interest via environmentally benign materials and treatment process that achieves omniphobicity through a combination of nanoscale roughness and low surface energy.

Summary of Findings:

In this SBIR Phase I program, TIAX investigated several treatment chemistries to identify a leading candidate for a non-fluorinated omniphobic textile finish. Using cotton as the test fabric, TIAX developed a new coating system that demonstrated the following performance properties relative to untreated test fabric:

• Substantially greater hydrophobicity
• Substantially greater oleophobicity
• Substantially greater stain resistance
• Moderate-to-good retention of hydrophobicity, oleophobicity and stain resistance after washing
• Little to no effect on color/appearance
• Comparable air permeability
• Moderate-to-good strength retention

Figure 1 graphically presents these property results using the star diagram format.

Figure 1. Star Diagram of Property Comparisons
TIAX New Non-Fluorinated Coating System ("Treated") vs Untreated ("Control")

Conclusions:

TIAX's new omniphobic technology offers the possibility of a non-fluorinated, water and oil resistant finish for textiles that is experimentally validated. Moreover, the coating material components are commercially available and the coating process is compatible with existing commercial textile finishing equipment.   The industry interest we have seen in Phase I in combination with our own technical progress supports the commercial potential for this new non-fluorinated coating system to begin to fill the need for performance-effective alternatives to existing fluorinated textile coatings.

Commercialization:

Moving forward, TIAX seeks to refine the chemistries and performance characteristics of its novel coating technology and transition the technology to commercial production.  Strategically, we plan to engage with textile industry partners to collaborate in the manufacture of pilot scale quantities of treated fabric.