An all solid-state pulse generator for raising the hydrophobicity of cotton fabrics

The development of super-hydrophobic surfaces is important for basic research as well as various applications, such as stain resistant textiles, anti-biofouling paints for boats, and self-cleaning windshields for automobiles. In this paper, an all solid-state pulsed fluorine plasma generator, which can raise the hydrophobicity of cotton fabrics, is proposed. This generator consists of a DC power source, an inductor and a solid-state Marx generator. The pulse parameters can be easily adjusted. The fluorine plasma is excited under very low atmospheric pressure in a closed chamber. Preliminary experiments are carried out. Experiment results suggest the cotton fabrics treated with this pulsed fluorine plasma show great hydrophobicity.