05 February 2025 - Impregneren
Impregnation at Finipur
Finipur boasts over 45 years of expertise as a textile finishing company and specialises in the finishing of textiles and various substrates, mostly in flexible form but sometimes non-flexible. The textile finishing process involves various coatings and treatments to add specific properties to the material, ranging from functional properties, such as flame-retardant, antimicrobial, degradation, etc. or user or comfort properties such as softening, breathable, etc. A common technique or application in textile finishing is foulard impregnation. Finipur has extensive experience in this and is able to impregnate substrates in a continuous production process up to a width of 300 cm. This ensures a uniform application of the coating over the entire surface of the substrate.
What is the foulard technique?
In foulard impregnation, the substrate is immersed in a chemical bath, configured to achieve specific properties for an optimal result. This process involves three different steps:
1. Immersion of substrate in a chemical bath
The substrate is immersed in a bath containing 100 to 200 litres of a chemical solution. The bath's composition varies depending on the desired attributes for the textile or substrate.
2. Wringing out excess chemicals
Upon exiting the bath, the substrate is passed through calendering rollers to wring out any excess chemicals to ensure that only a controlled amount of the solution is absorbed by the textile or substrate. The surplus goes back into the bath to minimise waste.
3. Drying and fixing
As Finipur works with water-based chemical solutions, the textile remains damp after immersion and wringing. The damp substrate subsequently passes through a drying oven which is 10 to 30 meters long during which any remaining dampness evaporates, leaving the chemicals to firmly bond with the substrate and embedding the desired properties permanently.
Impregnation applications
The technique of immersing a substrate in a chemical solution is utilised in a wide range of applications to provide specific functionalities to textiles or other substrates. Here are some of the key added values :
1. Flame-retardant impregnation
Impregnation with flame-retardant chemicals significantly reduces the flammability of the material, which is essential for various sectors in which Finipur operates.
2. Water-repellent or hydrophobic
Water-repellent textiles cause water to bead off the surface rather than penetrate it. This effect can be achieved using fluoropolymer or silicone-based impregnants and is highly sought after in outdoor and sports applications such as tents, raincoats, and screens.
3. Hydrophilic
Hydrophilic textiles quickly absorb water instead of repelling it, making them ideal for applications such as towels, medical materials, and sportswear, etc.
4. Stain-repellent
Stain-repellent impregnation with fluorocarbonates or nanotechnology reduces the ability of dirt particles to stick to the surface, offering protection against both oil- and water-based stains.
5. Antibacterial or antimicrobial
Antibacterial treatments, important in healthcare, sports, and automotive sectors, prevent the growth of bacteria, moulds and the like on substrates or textiles. Finipur has also applied antibacterial impregnation in cars to make air-conditioning filters antipollenic.
6. Hardening
Impregnation with resins or wear-resistant coatings enhances the hardness and abrasion resistance of textiles or other substrates, thus extending the lifespan even with intensive use. Finipur has collaborated in several industrial applications, such as abrasive discs, to achieve this.
7. Softening
Textiles can be softened to improve comfort. By impregnating textiles in a bath with silicones and paraffins a softer effect is achieved.
8. Conductive
Textiles can be made electrically conductive for certain applications by impregnation with carbon coatings or metal particles such as silver or copper.
9. Impregnation with resin
The use of resins strengthens and stiffens textiles or other substrates, which is essential for composites in aerospace, automotive and sports equipment. Glass fibre or carbon fibre is often impregnated with epoxy resins to create a lightweight but very strong material. In both automotive and aerospace, Finipur has gained the necessary experience.
10. Colouring with pigment paints
Textiles can be coloured by impregnating them with pigment paints. Pigments are bonded to the textile surface via various binders, giving abrasion-resistant colour to the treated material.
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