Comparison of the physical properties of heat-treated and hydrophobic modified glass fiber felt

The glass fiber felt owned opening pore structure and chemical stability, which was widely used in various of cabins of vessels, aircraft, vehicles, etc. The surface characteristics of fiber affected the drainage performance of felt, thus affecting the temperature and humidity environment in the cabin. In this paper, the physical properties of heat-treated and hydrophobic modified glass fiber felt were studied and compared. After heat treatment, the surface sizing agents were removed and the felt surface became smoother. The water contact angle (WCA) of all heated felt was 0°. The residual water of 1.5 cm and 0.5 cm felt decreased by 27% and 15%, respectively, while that of 2.5 cm felt increased 324%. The excellent drainage performance could be obtained by reducing the heated felt thickness. However, the tensile strength of felt decreased by 35%–45%. In addition, the fiber diameter, the thickness, and average pore size of heated felt all decreased. After hydrophobic modification, abundant nano particles adhered to the felt surface, making the surface of felt rough. The WCAs of 2.5 cm, 1.5 cm and 0.5 cm hydrophobic modified felt were 152°, 141°, 144°, respectively. The residual water decreased by more than 60%, indicating that the drainage performance of felt could be significantly improved. The tensile strength of felt was increased by 30%–40%. The fiber diameter increased, but the thickness and the average pore size of felt decreased. Compared with the heat treatment, the hydrophobic modification could obtain excellent drainage performance and increased the felt tensile strength, which was suitable for more occasions.