Water Repellency Testing

Testing Water Repellency of Performance Fabrics with Precision

Water repellency is a critical feature of performance fabrics, ensuring they stay dry and resist liquid absorption. Water splash testing is a method used to evaluate how well a fabric repels water. This test simulates real-world conditions where spills or splashes might occur, showcasing the fabric's ability to keep liquids at bay.

Why Is Water Repellency Testing Important?

Water repellency testing is essential for understanding a fabric’s performance in everyday environments. Its benefits include:

• Ensuring Durability: Fabrics that repel water last longer by preventing liquid damage.
• Maintaining Appearance: Water-repellent fabrics resist stains and discoloration caused by spills.
• Enhancing Comfort: Repelling water keeps surfaces dry, making the fabric more comfortable to use.
• Proving Reliability: The test verifies the fabric’s functionality before it’s used in applications such as upholstery, apparel, or outdoor gear.

Spray Testing

Spray testing is a crucial component of water repellency testing, designed to evaluate how effectively a fabric resists water on its surface. By simulating real-world scenarios such as rain or liquid splashes, this test assesses the fabric’s hydrophobic properties. During spray testing, water is sprayed onto the fabric at a controlled angle and intensity, and the behavior of the water—whether it beads up, rolls off, or penetrates—is carefully observed. The results provide a clear indication of the fabric’s ability to repel water, making spray testing an essential method for ensuring the quality and performance of water-repellent materials.

Visual Demonstration of Water Splash Testing

Intertek High-Performance Centres of Excellence offer comprehensive testing methods to verify water repellency performance:

• AATCC 22
• ISO 4920
• BS EN 24920
• ISO 9865
• BS EN 29865
• JIS L1092
• AS 2001-2-16
• CAN/CGSB-4.2 NO./N° 26.2
• GB/T 4745
• GB/T 14577
• BS 3424: Part 26, Method 29D
• CNS 10461 L3202
• FZ/T 81010
• KS K 0590
• GOST 3816 -81 Annex 3

Testing water repellency through methods like spray testing helps identifying areas for improvement. These tests provide insights for optimizing water-repellent treatments, refining fabric construction with tighter weaves or better fibers, and developing advanced coatings for long-lasting repellency. Such improvements ensure products deliver superior performance in real-world conditions.

Validating High-Performance Features with the High-Performance Mark

Intertek's High-Performance Mark program substantiates and verifies the high-performance features of your textile and apparel products, with distinct performance features of water-repellent, water-resistant and waterproof. This empowers you to confidently display a mark of trust to end-customers, demonstrating that these features meet Intertek's High-Performance Mark standards.

Water-repellent

Water-repellent products are designed to resist water penetration by causing water to bead up and roll off the surface. This is typically achieved through a chemical treatment to lower the surface tension of the fabric. While water-repellent fabrics can handle light splashes or drizzle, they may not provide protection against heavy rain or prolonged exposure to water.

Water-resistant

Water-resistant products can resist water penetration to a certain degree but are not fully impervious to it. These materials with hydrophobic surface coating on the face or back side to protect against light rain, splashes, or brief hand-washing, but water may eventually seep through if exposed to heavier rain or pressure.

Waterproof

Waterproof products are completely impervious to water, even under heavy rain or high-pressure conditions. These items are often constructed with specialized membranes or fully sealed seams to ensure no water gets inside, making them ideal for activities in wet or extreme conditions.

High-Performance Mark Program for Performance Products

Intertek High-Performance Mark program helps retailers, brands and manufacturers demonstrate the functional properties of Textile, Footwear, Furniture, Kitchenware, Pet Products, Eyewear and Jewelry by verifying performance attributes through testing and also enabling you to communicate the benefits to your customers through labeling that bears the High-Performance Mark.

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