ABSTRACT
The study of fiber wettability has important implications in detergency [1], water and oil repellency of textiles [2], in textile spinning, optical fiber processing, and in the chemical design of modern fiber reinforced composite systems (such as fiber reinforced polymers or concrete). The degree to which a liquid wets fibers determines how easily the liquid can penetrate fiber assemblages and this is important for both wet processing and for the performance of a textile article. Understanding the nature of the interaction of fibers with various liquids is important to tailor new polymeric composite systems [3]. The measurement of contact angles provides useful information about their wettability. The latter is essential in the modification of the fiber surface state or the adjustment of the rheological properties of the wetting prepolymer (resins) or of a polymer melt. Thermodynamic parameters, such as solid surface tension calculated from measured contact angles and surface polarity, can be used to estimate the expected adhesion between reinforcing fibers and a surrounding matrix [4, 5]. It can also lead to a prediction of the compatibility of the components of composite materials.
