Can you wet a water repelling polyolefin like Polypropylene?

It is a well known fact that Polyolefins such as PP and PE have excellent hydrophobic characteristic making them difficult to wet since they tend to repel water. While this is advantageous in many applications, it makes them unsuitable for some fiber/nonwoven applications, where properties like aqueous absorption and wettability are required.

A hydrophylic effect can be achieved through the application of topical hydrophilic treatments by spraying or wiping with surfactants. While these treatments achieve an initial hydrophilic effect, they are not durable because the coating could be easily washed away. Application such as wipes must rely on the absorptive capacity of the fibers to hold water.

A hydrophilic internal additive for polyolefin fibers and nonwovens is available from Ciba. It is a melt-processable alternative to topical finishes and allows polypropylene fabrics to absorb many times their weight in water. In addition the additive also improves the soft feel and comfort of nonwoven fabrics.

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