The zeta potential of textile fabrics: a review

Abstract

The electrostatic interaction of a material surface with solutes in an aqueous solution plays an important role in many textile processes such as dyeing or finishing. The surface charge of textile fibers is driving this electrostatic interaction. Knowledge of the surface charge is accessible through the analysis of the surface zeta potential, which again is assessed by the measurement of the streaming potential. We explain the principle of the surface zeta potential analysis and highlight challenges in the streaming potential measurement of textile fabrics. A review of applications of the zeta potential in state-of-the-art textile research reported in the scientific literature is complemented by our recent results obtained for flame-retardant cotton-modacryl fabrics and the analysis of the adsorption and desorption kinetics of fabric softeners.