Coated fabrics are those that have undergone a

coating A coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, or substrate. The purpose of applying the coating may be decorative, functional, or both. Coatings may be applied as liquids, gases or solids e.g. powder coatings. Paints ...

procedure to become more functional and hold the added properties, such as

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

fabrics becoming impermeable or

waterproof Waterproofing is the process of making an object, person or structure waterproof or water-resistant so that it remains relatively unaffected by water or resists the ingress of water under specified conditions. Such items may be used in wet env ...

. Coated textiles are used in a variety of applications, including blackout curtains and the development of waterproof fabrics for raincoats.

Coating

The coating is an application of

chemical substances A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combine ...

on the surface of fabric that is to be made functional or decorative. Coatings use less material than other types of

applications Application may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks ** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a ...

, such as exhaust or

padding Padding is thin cushioned material sometimes added to clothes. Padding may also be referred to as batting or wadding when used as a layer in lining quilts or as a packaging or stuffing material. When padding is used in clothes, it is often done in ...

on stenter.

History

The earliest known coated fabric is

Oilcloth Oilcloth, also known as enameled cloth or American cloth, is close-woven cotton duck or linen cloth with a coating of boiled linseed oil to make it waterproof. Manufacture Boiled linseed oil was prepared by a long boiling of linseed oil with me ...

. Oilcloth is produced by the application of

boiled linseed oil Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil or flax oil (in its edible form), is a colorless to yellowish oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant (''Linum usitatissimum''). The oil is obtained by pressing, sometimes followed by ...

. The use of boiled oils can be traced back to 200 AD.

Types

Coated fabrics can be made in a variety of ways, depending on the coating ingredients used, such as chemical and particles. Rubber, plastic, and vinyl coatings are just a few examples. Nanofabrics are coated with a wide range of

nanoparticles A nanoparticle or ultrafine particle is a particle of matter 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) in diameter. The term is sometimes used for larger particles, up to 500 nm, or fibers and tubes that are less than 100 nm in only two directions. At ...

to make the fabrics capable of enhanced properties such as

ultrahydrophobicity In chemistry and materials science, ultrahydrophobic (or superhydrophobic) surfaces are highly hydrophobic, i.e., extremely difficult to wetting, wet. The contact angles of a water droplet on an ultrahydrophobic material exceed 150°. This is al ...

medical textiles Medical textiles are numerous Fiber, fiber-based materials intended for medical purposes. Medical textile is a sector of technical textiles that emphasizes fiber-based products used in health care applications such as Preventive healthcare, preven ...

(

antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from antimicrobials, which are drugs used to treat infections. This resistance affects all classes of microbes, including bacteria (antibiotic resista ...

Ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

protection, and elasticity.

Use

The applications and uses of coated fabrics are numerous. * In manufacturing of pristine clothes. *Self cleaning fabrics with

lotus effect The lotus effect refers to self-cleaning properties that are a result of ultrahydrophobicity as exhibited by the leaves of ''Nelumbo'', the lotus flower. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the micro- and nanoscopic architect ...

. * PPE kits, aprons, coverall and gowns for healthcare workers usable in viral diseases such as

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, medical textiles with protecting properties, body fluid resistance and antimicrobial surface. *Coated fabrics also contribute to

fire-retardant fabrics Fire-retardant fabrics refer to the type of textiles that are designed to resist ignition and also slow the spread of fire, this can be taken advantage of when designing fabrics as it improves the safety factor in a multitude of applications. Th ...

. *In distinctive areas, coated fabrics are used for transportation, industrial application, geotextile, and military use.

References

{{Reflist Textiles Textile techniques Industrial processes Chemical processes

Coating

History

Types

Use

See also

References