Nanoparticles Integrated Water-Repellent Textiles

Abstract

The textile field is as diverse as the products it produces, and new applications are continually emerging. Textile production, which involves fibres, yarns, fabrics, garments, textile raw materials, and furnishings for homes, is highly competitive worldwide. Technological protective fabrics, such as flame-retardant, antimicrobial, and superhydrophobic garments, aim to improve human safety. These water-repellent fabrics have a wide range of applications, including industrial, consumer, and fashion. Water resistant textiles are typically high-density woven fabrics with hydrophobic surfaces. Water-resistant fabrics are made using specialised finishing surface treatments. This chapter offers a summary of the progress in developing and using nanoparticles for water-repellent textile materials. The basic principles of water repelency are first presented, followed by a discussion of the most widely used nanoparticles for textile fabrics, and the application methods of nanoparticles and testing of water repellent fabrics. Lastly, many critical points for challenges and potential future developments have been discussed. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.