Advanced Post-Processing Techniques for Hydrophobic and Flame-Retardant Textiles

Textiles are items of everyday use, and their production occurs in huge quantities worldwide. Providing textile materials with additional protective functions can enhance safety and serve as a foundation for developing personal protective equipment. This review summarises strategies for post-production modification of textile fabrics aimed at obtaining hydrophobic and flame-resistant products. Reported methods for hydrophobization are outlined, including approaches based on surface morphology control and chemical treatment, which have been applied to create moisture-proof textiles. In addition, developments in strategies for producing flame-resistant materials are discussed, with potential applications ranging from specialised protective clothing to the enhancement of everyday garments. In this article, we demonstrate simple and safe methods for producing textiles with a contact angle of approximately 150°. We present approaches, including environmentally friendly ones, that enable the creation of cotton materials with an LOI greater than 35%.