Sometimes fabrics cannot be used for their intended purpose without first using impregnating agents. This is usually necessary to make fabrics water-repellent or flame retardant before clothing or other products are made from such material.

Impregnation is also used in the processing of fabrics for furniture, so that the material becomes practical, less exposed to external influences and lasts longer.

There are different types of impregnations, which differ in purpose, cost and properties. The choice of impregnation agents depends on the further use of the treated material.

Fabric impregnations are divided into three types according to their functions:

• waterproof;
• refractory;
• biostable.

The third type prevents decay and reproduction of bacteria and is rarely used for fabrics (mainly for jute and semi-jute materials). Fire-resistant and water-repellent impregnations are more in demand.

Water-repellent impregnation

After processing with such compositions, moisture and water do not penetrate through the fabric. Depending on the material and purpose of fabric processing, one of the types of water-repellent impregnation is selected:

Impregnation type WR

The most popular type is impregnation type WR, which is applied only to the outside of the material. The treated fabric is not subject to getting wet, as drops of water roll down the protective layer.

Also, the fabric does not dampen at high humidity, since the impregnation layer does not allow even the smallest water molecules to pass through in the form of steam or fog.

Polyurethane impregnation (PU)

It is applied to the inside of the material, which can get wet on the outside, but moisture will not seep through.

Impregnation DuPont

Teflon impregnation (DuPont) is an analogue of WR impregnation, but unlike it, it is applied to products that are operated in more severe conditions. Teflon impregnation is more often used for impregnation of furniture fabric, tents and outerwear.

Impregnation PD

PD impregnation is applied to the inner surface of the fabric and not only prevents the penetration of moisture, but also makes the material more durable. In clothing, it is often used in combination with other types of impregnations.

Silver and Ultra Foil impregnations are also used for clothes. The first is applied to clothes from the outside and, in addition to being water-repellent, has sun protection properties, preventing the material from fading. Ultra Foil is applied from the inside and forms a durable, shiny protective layer.

Separately, there is silicone impregnation, which is applied to tents and is not used for clothing. This is due to the high cost of the product, the complexity of the application process and low efficiency compared to polyurethane counterparts.

Impregnations for membrane fabrics

Despite the positioning of membrane fabrics as a material that is waterproof in itself, sometimes it is additionally treated with impregnations such as DWR. This means protects the front side of the membrane from water penetration.

The principle of operation of the membrane fabric is based on the fact that it absorbs moisture without letting it in. But the water accumulated inside the membranes prevents the heat from escaping to the outside, so such a hydrophobic fabric, although effective, in clothes made of such material, a person quickly begins to sweat.

In addition, if moisture does not roll down the impregnation layer, but is absorbed into the fabric, the clothes become heavier. DWR is mainly used for the processing of clothing and accessories for tourists, as well as for some types of military uniforms.

With its water-repellent properties, DWR impregnation is water-soluble. Under normal conditions, the protective layer is damaged very slowly, but such things need to be washed using special products that do not damage the protection.

Fire retardant impregnation

Fire impregnation is used to treat overalls, but is sometimes used to treat tents (tourist and military). This impregnation does not guarantee complete protection against fire and burns: at high temperatures, such a layer melts, but this can happen for different times, depending on the composition of the impregnation.

The fabric itself also plays a big role. So, a tarpaulin, which itself is canvas impregnated with water-repellent and fire-resistant compounds, will not burn.

If cotton or other knitted fabric is treated with the strongest flame retardant impregnation, sooner or later the protective layer will collapse and the material will start to burn.

Application area

Refractory impregnations are mainly used for processing overalls of firefighters, workers, metallurgists and representatives of other dangerous professions. But the scope of water-repellent agents is wider, and they are used for processing:

• protective clothing;
• jacket fabric;
• tents;
• backpacks and bags;
• belts;
• furniture;
• tablecloths;
• awnings and canopies for the street;
• raincoat fabrics.

Impregnation from water not only retains moisture, but is also dirt-repellent. Most light and medium soiling is not terrible for such a material, since the dirt, consisting of large molecules, is not absorbed into the fibers and is easily cleaned off.

Do-it-yourself water-repellent impregnation for fabric

All impregnations are applied during the production of products or sold separately. But buying impregnation separately is not profitable, since they are mainly supplied in bulk, and if it becomes necessary to treat clothes with such a composition, it is easier to prepare it yourself.

There are several impregnation recipes that you can make at home by buying inexpensive ingredients at a hardware store and pharmacy. For example, alum used in medicine is sold in pharmacies.

Here are a few do-it-yourself impregnation options:

1. Take 500 grams of rosin powder, rubbed with shavings of laundry soap, acetone and laundry soda. Five liters of water is heated almost to a boil, after which soap chips and soda are mixed in a container with water. Then the rosin powder is dissolved in acetone, and the mixture is added to a common container, where everything is thoroughly mixed. In this solution, the fabric is impregnated for 12 hours. Instead of rosin powder, you can use the resin of coniferous trees.
2. In five liters of warm water, 500 grams of soap chips are dissolved, after which the fabric is immersed there. While the material is being impregnated, alum is dissolved in five liters of water in another container - the product already impregnated in a soapy solution is placed here.
3. The product can be soaked for five days in a solution of copper sulfate (this substance is added in the amount of 300 grams per 12 liters of water). After this time, the fabric will acquire water-repellent properties.

If you need to make a reliable impregnation for the tent, it is better to soak the fabric in a solution, for the preparation of which they use:

• alum (120 grams);
• quicklime (300 grams);
• 12.5 liters of water.

The solution does not need to boil, but must be thoroughly mixed. The fabric is enough to withstand 12 hours.

Both clothing and tents need to be impregnated with special compounds. There are three methods of impregnation for their best preservation.

Both clothing and tents need to be impregnated with special compounds. There are three methods of impregnation for their best preservation.

The first is with the help of chemicals. With this treatment of the fabric, its threads become impervious to water, but the gaps between them are not filled. In this way, denser fabrics are processed, thereby increasing their fire resistance. A well-stretched tent made of impregnated fabric at an angle of inclination of at least 35 ° does not allow water to pass through. But if things lying in the tent come into contact with the fabric, then water penetrates through the pores, and they get wet. Impregnation should be renewed every year if the travel season is long enough and there is a lot of rain. Ropes (slings) can also be impregnated by chemical methods so that they do not get wet and rot.

The second way is to impregnate the fabric with an oil or wax-like composition that fills all the gaps. As a result, it becomes completely impervious to air and water, but at the same time more heavy and flammable, and at low temperatures - not flexible. Sparks falling on fabric can easily burn through or even start a fire. Fabrics used mainly for the floor of a tent, the inner lining of a sleeping bag, the lining of pack bags and bags, and sometimes backpacks, are subjected to this method of impregnation. With careful handling of the fabric, the impregnation will last for several years.

The third, intermediate, method is impregnation with compounds containing fish or carpentry glue or casein. As a result, fabrics become dense and suitable for making clothes and tents, as well as light-weight flooring (for example, a recipe with wood glue).

The following are general rules that apply to all methods. When immersed in the solution, you need to make sure that the entire fabric is completely saturated (for this, it is recommended to knead it with your hands). The soap solution is made in hot water, and the soap is first cut into small pieces and rubbed. All chemicals are crushed and must be dissolved without residue. Water needs soft, without large mineral impurities. When impregnated by a chemical method, after drying, a white coating remains, which is then washed off by rain or erased during transportation. The seams of the tents are recommended to be coated with rubber glue. For impregnation of tents, you can take less concentrated solutions than for clothes. In the manufacture of solutions in gasoline, turpentine, etc. use a water bath (during impregnation, so that the mixture does not cool, hot water is poured into an external vessel). Instead of paraffin, you can take ordinary candles.

Chemical formulations using readily available chemicals

Dissolve 500 g of laundry soap in 5 liters of hot water. Soak the fabric well, squeeze lightly. Without drying it, immerse for a while in a solution of ordinary (potassium-aluminum) alum (500 g per 5 liters of water, for a stronger impregnation, 1000 g or a saturated solution is taken). Dry without wringing.

Dissolve 450 g of laundry soap in 4.5 liters of hot water, add 250 g of laundry soda and 450 g of rosin powder. The procedure for processing the fabric is the same. Both of these methods are good, but the first one is simpler and faster (suitable, in particular, for impregnating networks).

One of the simplest and most effective ways, which also gives fire-resistant properties to fabrics, is impregnation with alum and lead sugar (lead acetate). In one dish, 150 g of lead sugar is diluted in 3 liters of water, in the other in the same volume - 150 g of ordinary alum (or another option - 75 g of both products for the same amount of water). Then it is necessary to defend these solutions and drain them together, separating them from the sediment. Let the mixture stand for several hours, and when the liquid becomes transparent, drain it, separating it from the sediment. In this liquid, soak the fabric during the night or even a day, and then dry without wringing. Since the composition is poisonous, the dishes should be boiled well and washed.

Dissolve 400 g of alum in 2.25 liters of boiling water, add 9.125 liters of water. Soak the fabric in this solution for a day, and then squeeze it out slightly and immerse it for 5-6 hours in another solution: 225 g of lead sugar, filled with 9.125 liters of water.

Dip the fabric in a 40% solution of laundry soap, gently wring out and immerse in a 15 - 20% solution of copper sulphate. Dry without wringing. The fabric is dyed green.
- In a solution (285 g of quicklime and 115 g of alum per 12.3 liters of water), keep the fabric for 12 hours, and then dry it without wringing. This fabric is used for tents.

Soak fabrics, ropes, slings, nets for four to five days in a solution of copper sulfate (300 g per 12 l), then dry and rinse in soapy water. This will protect them from decay and give special strength.

Oil and paraffin formulations

In 2 liters of gasoline (heated in a water bath), dissolve 300 g of paraffin, 300 g of petroleum jelly, 100 g of glycerin. Immerse the fabric in the hot solution for 25-30 minutes. Keep away from fire during impregnation and drying.

1 kg of drying oil and 200 g of paraffin or wax are heated over a fire until they dissolve. Constantly heating this mixture, but without bringing it to a boil, smear the tent with a wide brush, especially its seams, and then dry it.

7.5 kg of linseed oil and 300 g of wax (or 2.450 kg and 80 g) are boiled for 2 hours. The mixture is designed to impregnate a tarpaulin.

150 g of litharge (lead oxide), 130 g of umber and 11 liters of linseed oil are boiled with constant stirring for 2 hours, and then smear the stretched canvas with a hot mass.

Mix equal proportions of talcum powder with unrefined petroleum jelly, spread on the fabric (coarse canvas, canvas) and rub well.

Rub the paraffin into a fabric stretched on a smooth surface (table, etc.), and then iron it with an iron, but another method is more effective - dissolve 450-500 g of paraffin in 3.8 liters of turpentine, heat the turpentine in a water bath, then pour melted paraffin. Apply the hot mixture to the stretched fabric.

A good result is achieved by rubbing boiled linseed oil. This should be done with your hands, and very energetically. To impregnate 1 m2 of fabric, you need about 0.25 liters of oil. Dry it in the fresh air until the smell disappears.

To get a water-impervious felt, you need to make a mixture of 70 g of linseed oil, 70 g of kerosene, 30 g of turpentine and 10 g of wax, heat it in a water bath, and then apply a thin layer on the felt and smooth it until it is saturated. It takes a long time to dry the felt. It is not recommended to use kerosene and glazolin for impregnating fabrics, as they become less elastic.

Adhesive and casein formulations

Make three solutions (50 g of fish glue in hot water; 10 g of alum in 0.3 l of water; and g of white soap in 0.15-0.20 l) and mix together. Apply the heated mixture with a cloth or brush on the fabric. For clothes, you can take equal parts of all three ingredients; the composition is applied from the inside until the outside becomes wet.

Dissolve 40 g of alum, 20 g of fish glue and 10 g of white soap in 1 liter of water, wet a cloth, wring out and rinse in a 4% solution of lead acetate.

To a mixture of 500 g of milk casein, 12 g of slaked lime and 0.5 l of water, add a hot solution of 25 g of neutral soap per 3 l of water. In this mixture, it is necessary to soak the fabric well, dry it, then place it for a while in a two percent solution of aluminum acetate (2 g per 0.1 l). Remove, dip in boiling water and then dry.

Wet the fabric in a hot solution consisting of 100 g of wood glue, 10 g of acetic acid, 10 g of potassium dichromate, 0.9 l of water. Dry without wringing.

Any fabric can be made water-repellent and suitable for the manufacture of kayak, awning, tent lining. The fabric is carefully smoothed with an iron. A package is made of two layers of ironed fabric and a PVC film laid between them and ironed with an iron heated to 120-130 °. After the material has cooled, it is rubbed with technical wax and ironed again. The fabric is not only waterproof, but also airtight. In order for these properties to be preserved in finished products, their seams must be waxed and ironed.

Waxed cotton-Barbour International
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waxed_cotton

Chemical way.

By impregnating the fabric with various "chemicals", we essentially process the threads themselves, affecting their properties. Between the threads there are "pores" that allow the clothes to "breathe". Therefore, in order to achieve maximum effect, it is necessary to take a very dense fabric. According to rumors that we have not personally verified, the fabric after such a treatment becomes more fire resistant.
The only disadvantage of such processing is the need to repeat the processing at least once a year.

So, one of the "recipes" is the use of soap and rope. We take half a kilogram of laundry soap, dissolve this pile in 5 liters of hot water. We throw our fabric into this "soup" so that it is thoroughly saturated. At this time, we take another 5 liters of water and potassium-aluminum alum from half a kilogram to 1 kg. Well, for yourself, of course, you can take another half liter of something like that, but this is not for everyone =) We sipped half a liter of juice and take our fabric out of the soapy solution. Squeeze a bit and lower it into a solution of alum. We soak it there for about 12 hours. After we take it out and dry it without squeezing.
If it is necessary to make ropes, nets, slings waterproof, then it is enough to soak them for five to six days in a solution of copper sulfate. How to cook this bormatuha? We take 300 g of vitriol and dissolve it in 12 liters of water. After soaking, take out, dry and rinse in soapy water. After this treatment, our ropes become stronger and more resistant to decay.
How can you make a waterproof tent? Very simple! Bodyzhim in 12 liters of water 110 g of alum, 280 g of quicklime. We soak our fabric in this broth for 12 hours. We take out and dry without squeezing.
Another option for fabric impregnation: dissolve 450 g of alum in 2.5 liters of hot water. Afterwards, add another 9.5 liters of water at room temperature. We run a fabric into our solution and soak it for a day. After this period, we remove our fabric, wring it out slightly and place it for 6 hours in the following solution: 220 g of lead sugar (lead acetic acid), diluted in 9 liters of water. After we take out the fabric and dry it.
Well, for lovers of everything army and green. The following composition makes the fabric waterproof and dyes it in a protective green color. For several hours, the fabric is placed in a 40% solution of laundry soap. Slightly squeeze and place in a 20% solution of copper sulfate. Dry the fabric without wringing.
And the most kosher recipe based on alum is the following:
impregnation with lead acetate and alum. The fabric becomes very, very refractory and does not rot for a long time. Separately, 75-150 g of alum and 75-150 g of lead acetate are diluted in three liters of water (the proportions should be the same). We put these bottles to settle. When the solutions dissolve, we pour them into one large container, separating them from the sediment and settling again. In the resulting solution, we soak our fabric for about a day. Next, we take out the fabric and hang it to dry, without squeezing!

Wax-paraffin-oil impregnation.

Such impregnation significantly makes the fabric heavier, because. the plastic composition not only covers the threads, but also fills the spaces ("pores") between them. The fabric, respectively, ceases to pass both water and air. Hardens at low temperatures. And there is another significant drawback - the fabric becomes flammable when using oils. Given all these shortcomings, it is better to use a similar method for processing the outer skin of backpacks, bags, sleeping bags, for the floor of a tent.
The easiest way is to stretch the fabric on a flat surface (like a table) and rub it with paraffin. To make everything more Orthodox - iron it. Then the melted paraffin will fill the space between the threads.
A better way is to dissolve 0.5 kg of paraffin in 4 liters of turpentine. Achtung! Achtung! Turpentine is heated only in a water bath and melted paraffin is poured into it. Turpentine should not be heated on fire =) While our mixture is hot, we cover the existing fabric with it.
Next, we move on to more dangerous (from the point of view of Russian laws) reagents. We dissolve 100 g of glycerin (which seems to be prohibited for sale in pharmacies), 300 g of petroleum jelly and 300 g of paraffin in 2 liters of gasoline. We soak our fabric in the resulting solution for half an hour. Dry better outdoors away from open flames.
To impregnate felt, you can use the following mixture: "mix" 10 g of wax, 70 g of kerosene, 70 g of linseed oil (now the knife makers shuddered reverently), 30 g of turpentine. We heat the mixture in a water bath and apply a thin layer on the felt. And then we take a steam bath to wait for this damn felt to dry =)
A more brutal way - put 200 g of wax or paraffin into a metal bottle-jar-canister, pour 1 kg of drying oil. Then heat gently until everything dissolves. We do not bring to a boil, but we maintain a constant high temperature of the mixture! Next, pretend to be Pipicasso and apply the mixture to the fabric with a brush. Great for helping with seams.
Well preserves fabric (by the way, wood too, only the method is different there) linseed oil. It is boiled. Then with your hands, while warm, vigorously rub the fabric. Consumption: 0.25 l of oil per 1 m2 of canvas. Dry in the fresh air until the smell disappears completely.
If we need to make a canvas or other rough fabric waterproof, it is enough to mix vaseline and talc 50 to 50 and carefully rub the fabric.
For the tarpaulin, the doctor prescribed the following composition for us: boil 300 g of wax in 7.5 kg of linseed oil for two hours.

Well, we come to the last method, substance abuse -

Adhesive compounds.

Clothing, tents and capes can be impregnated with casein, fish glue and carpentry glue. This fabric becomes dense and quite light.
Namba solution 1: in one liter of water we add 10 g of potassium dichromate, 10 g of acetic acid and 100 g of wood glue. Soak fabric in it. Hang out to dry afterward, no wringing.
In a liter of warm water we dissolve 10 g of soap from animal fats, 20 g of fish glue and 40 g of alum. We soak the fabric, wring out and rinse in a 4% solution of lead acetate.
Separately, dissolve 50 g of fish glue, 10 g of soap in 200 ml of warm water, 10 g of alum in 300 ml of water. Then we mix everything and heat it up. The composition is applied with a clothes brush on the stretched fabric from the inside until the outside becomes wet.
Separately, we dissolve 12 g of slaked lime and 0.5 kg of milk casein in 0.5 l of water; in 3 liters of water 25 g of neutral soap. We mix the solutions. After soaking, the fabric dries. Then it is additionally soaked in a 2% solution of aluminum acetate (2 g per 100 ml of water). After that, we take out the fabric and wash it in hot water. We dry.
To create a waterproof awning from a tarpaulin, for example, you can use already more ruthless rubber adhesives.
We mix glue-88 and aviation gasoline (well, of course, if we can get such a wild rarity) in a ratio of 1 to 1 and soak our tarpaulin. Some advise using thinner gasoline instead of aviation BR.

What can be gleaned from the good old Soviet journalism on our topic:

1. 160 g of soap are dissolved in a small amount of hot water. In another bowl, melt 40 g of paraffin and pour it into the soap solution, stirring. Then gradually add hot water up to a liter. The resulting emulsion is diluted with three liters of hot water. A cloth is lowered into the solution (70 °C) and kept there for about an hour. Then the fabric is wrung out, dipped in a solution of potassium alum (100 g per 1 liter of water) for an hour, wrung out again, rinsed in warm and cold water, dried and ironed with a hot iron ( "Chemistry and Life", 1969, No. 12, p. 67).

2. Tourist cotton suit can be turned into a waterproof suit. Dissolve 20 g of lead acetate in 3 liters of water. Separately, in the same amount of water, dissolve 40 g of alum (potassium alum, KAl (SO4) 2). Mix both solutions and filter. Then put the suit into this purified mixture for several hours. After drying, it will become waterproof, and retain the ability to pass air ( "Science and Life, 1973, No. 5, p. 156).

3. Parachute capron - a common material for tourist homemade products - can be made waterproof if soaked with a solution of polyvinyl chloride in cyclohexanone or tetrahydrofuran. To prepare the impregnation, 70-100 g of finely chopped polyvinyl chloride (can be colored) is placed in 1 liter of solvent for two, three days. The impregnated fabric is dipped into the solution, taken out and dried on stretch marks. By repeating the impregnation several times, you can get a fabric with different properties: from similar to calendered nylon to those close to rubberized. To restore the properties of the impregnation, damaged areas of the fabric or seams are re-coated with a solution of vinyl chloride. You should have it in your travel repair kit. Note that the solvent is flammable and has a strong odor. It is necessary to work with him in the open air or under draft, in rubber gloves ( "Tourist", 1984, No. 11, p. fourteen).

4. If you do not have the necessary fabric for a tent or rain cover, it can be made from cotton fabric by processing it as follows. Soak a clean cloth in a hot (70-80 ° C) solution of 30 g of laundry soap in 1 liter of water. The fabric is then wrung out four times and dried. The dried fabric is placed in a solution of aluminum chloride (concentration 20 g/l) so that it is completely immersed, but not compacted, and kept there for 25 minutes, after which it is wrung out and dried. It is advisable to repeat this operation. The fabric treated with soap and salts is impregnated with an emulsion of paraffin. The emulsion is prepared as follows: for 200 g of melted paraffin, take 20 g of laundry soap dissolved in 675 g of water. Pour the soap solution into the melted paraffin. Then add a solution of wood glue at the rate of 5 g per 100 g of water. Heat the mixture to 90 °C, mix thoroughly and cool to room temperature. Apply the resulting emulsion to the fabric with a thin layer, dry the fabric and iron it with an iron at 80-120 °C. The fabric treated in this way will last at least two years. In case of violation of water resistance, it can be restored again ( "Fish farming and fishing", 1971, No. 4, p. 29).

5. A good result is the impregnation of the material with natural linseed drying oil. But this method takes much longer, since it sometimes takes a good three to four weeks to completely dry the drying oil, and the impregnation must be repeated at least two times. So you should resort to this method only when there are two to three months left ( "Fish farming and fishing", 1982, No. 6, p. 24).

6. Tents and sails, awnings and backpacks can be made waterproof if they are treated with a special solution. 250 g of casein glue are dissolved, stirring, in 0.75 l of water and 12 g of ground lime are added. Then 13 g of laundry soap is diluted in 1.5 liters of water and soapy water is poured into the first solution. The fabric is immersed in the resulting liquid or thoroughly moistened, then dried well. Thus, any dense fabric can be impregnated, and it will become waterproof ( "Fisherman", 1985, No. 2, p. 42).

7. Dissolve 100 g of heart soap (preferably for children) in 3 liters of water with gentle stirring, heating the solution to 60-70 ° C. The material to be processed is immersed in a warm solution. After 20-30 minutes, it is taken out, slightly rinsed with cold water and immersed for 20-30 minutes in a warm 8-10% solution of potassium alum. Then the material is again rinsed well in cold water, again immersed for 10-15 minutes in a warm soap solution, then placed in a solution of alum for 10-15 minutes. With this treatment, an insoluble aluminum soap is formed in the pores of the material. The first time the material is rinsed with water so that the aluminum soap settles inside the material, otherwise it will linger on the surface and further access of alum inside will stop. Wash a second time with water to remove excess alum, then dry ( V. Sabunaev. "Sport fishing". L. Lenizdat, 1957).

8. Release the inner film from the broken triplex automotive glass, dissolve in thinner No. 647 (18 g of film per bottle of thinner). There are five bottles on the awning of the tent. Spread the resulting composition with a brush on stretched parachute silk and let it dry in the wind (from a reader's letter).
You can check the quality of impregnation as follows. Place a piece of cloth on the pan so that the cloth sags, and carefully pour a glass of water onto its surface. If the water-repellent impregnation is good, then water drops will not appear on the back of the fabric, and the fabric itself will not absorb it ( "Chemistry and Life", 1967, No. 9, p. 90).

Article in "Chemistry and Life" No. 5, 1987, pp. 58-59.
Waterproof fabric can be made in one of the following ways ( according to S. V. Obruchev "Traveler's Handbook"):
1. Put the fabric in a warm soapy solution (500 g of soap in 4 liters of water). Then squeeze it out and immerse it in a saturated solution of alum (potassium alum, KAl(SO4)2). Even better, if you add 25 g of laundry soda and 450 g of rosin powder to the soap solution.
2. Put the fabric in a 40% solution of linen soap and, when it is saturated, remove it and dip it in a 20% solution of copper sulfate. Then dry (the fabric turns green).
3. Mix a solution of lead acetate (30 g per 1 l of water) and a solution of aluminum sulfate (21 g per 0.35 l of water), shake and strain through a muslin. Then put the fabric in this mixture for a quarter of an hour and dry without squeezing.
4. Soak a cloth in a solution of 100 parts water, 4 parts alum (potassium aluminum, KAl(SO4)2), 2 parts fish glue, and 1 part laundry soap. Then wring out the cloth and rinse it in a 4% solution of lead acetate.
Chapter from the book: L. A. Erlykin, "Angler's Laboratory".

How to make tents, sails, awnings, backpacks, raincoats - waterproof

1 way: Tents and sails, awnings and backpacks can be made waterproof if they are treated with a special solution. 250 g of casein glue are dissolved, stirring, in 0.75 l of water and 12 g of ground lime are added. Then 15 g of laundry soap is diluted in 1.5 liters of water and soapy water is poured into the first solution. The fabric is immersed in the resulting liquid or thoroughly moistened, then dried well. Thus, any dense fabric can be impregnated, and it will become waterproof.

2 way: Tourist clothing, tents, raincoats made of cotton or linen are treated with water-repellent impregnation. To do this, prepare a solution of 125 g of gelatin, 125 g of laundry soap, 300 g of alum, 8 liters of water. It is necessary to boil it all, stirring carefully, and cool. Then soak things in this solution for 1-2 hours. After carefully straightening the soaked things, and without squeezing, hang to dry. Iron them slightly damp.

3 way: A good result is the impregnation of the material with natural linseed drying oil. But this method takes much more time, since it sometimes takes 3-4 weeks to completely dry the drying oil, and the impregnation must be repeated at least 2 times. So you can resort to this method when there are 2-3 months left.

4 way: How to make fabric waterproof? You need to take 160 g of soap and dissolve in a small amount of hot water. In another bowl, melt 40 g of paraffin and pour it into the soap solution, stirring. Then gradually add hot water up to a liter. The resulting emulsion is diluted with three liters of hot water. A cloth is lowered into the solution (70 ° C) and kept there for about an hour. Then the fabric is wrung out, dipped in a solution of potassium alum (100 g per 1 liter of water) for an hour, wrung out again, rinsed in warm and cold water, dried and ironed with a hot iron.

5 way: 100 g of sound soap (preferably for children) are dissolved in 3 liters of water with slight stirring, heating the solution to 60-70 ° C. The material to be processed is immersed in a warm solution. After 20-30 minutes, it is taken out, slightly rinsed with cold water and immersed for 20-30 minutes in a warm 8-10% solution of potassium alum. Then the material is again rinsed well in cold water, again immersed for 10-15 minutes in a warm soap solution, then placed in a solution of alum for 10-15 minutes.

With this treatment, an insoluble aluminum soap is formed in the pores of the material. The first time the material is rinsed with water so that the aluminum soap settles inside the material, otherwise it will linger on the surface and further access of alum inside will stop. Washed a second time with water to remove excess alum, then dried.

6 way: Parachute nylon (a common material for tourist crafts) can be made waterproof by impregnating it with a solution of polyvinyl chloride in cyclohexanone or tetrahydrofuran.

To prepare the impregnation, 70-100 g of finely chopped polyvinyl chloride (colored can be used) are taken and placed in 1 liter of solvent for 2-3 days. The impregnated fabric is dipped into the solution, taken out and dried on stretch marks.

By repeating the impregnation several times, you can get a fabric with different properties: from similar to calendered nylon to those close to rubberized. To restore the properties of the impregnation, damaged areas of the fabric or seams are re-coated with a solution of vinyl chloride. You should have it in your travel repair kit. Note that the solvent is flammable and has a strong odor. It is necessary to work with him in the open air or under draft, in rubber gloves.

7 way: If you do not have the necessary fabric for a tent or rain cover, you can make it from cotton fabric by processing it as follows. Soak a clean cloth in a hot (70-80 ° C) solution of 30 g of laundry soap in 1 liter of water. The fabric is then wrung out four times and dried. The dried fabric is placed in a solution of aluminum chloride (concentration 20 g / 1 l) so that it is immersed, but not compacted, and kept there for 25 minutes, after which it is wrung out and dried. It is advisable to repeat this operation. The fabric treated with soap and salts is impregnated with an emulsion of paraffin. The emulsion is prepared as follows: for 200 g of melted paraffin, take 20 g of laundry soap dissolved in 675 g of water. Pour the soap solution into the melted paraffin. Then add a solution of wood glue at the rate of 5 g per 100 g of water. Heat the mixture to 90°C, mix thoroughly and cool to room temperature. Apply the resulting emulsion to the fabric in a thin layer, dry the fabric and iron it at 80-120 ° C. The fabric treated in this way will last at least two years. In case of violation of water resistance, it can be restored again.

8 way: Release the inner film from broken triplex automotive glass, dissolve in thinner No. 647 (18 g of film per bottle of thinner). There are five bottles on the awning of the tent. Spread the resulting composition with a brush on stretched parachute silk and allow to dry in the wind.

You can check the quality of impregnation as follows. Place a piece of cloth on the pan so that the cloth sags, and carefully pour a glass of water onto its surface. If the water-repellent impregnation is good, then water drops will not appear on the back of the fabric, and the fabric itself will not absorb it.

Waterproof travel suit

A tourist cotton suit can be turned into a waterproof one. Dissolve 20 grams of lead acetate in three liters of water. Separately, in the same amount of water, dissolve 40 grams of alum. Mix both solutions and filter. Then put the suit into this purified mixture of solutions for several hours. After drying, it will become waterproof, and retain the ability to pass air.

How to make clothes waterproof

Dissolve 300 g of borax in 2 liters of water, add 120 g of Glauber's salt and 80 g of dextrin. Stir - and the composition is ready.

Soak sportswear in it (or any other in which you go fishing or picking mushrooms), it should be well saturated with the solution. In no case do not wring, but just hang. When the water drains and things dry, iron them with a hot iron. Such a suit will not get wet for a long time even in heavy rain.

How to make shoes waterproof

1. Dissolve yellow beeswax in gasoline until saturation, heat the solution in a water bath and add 1/10 weight of the melted spermaceti. Before use, melt in a water bath and apply to dry and slightly heated skin.

2. Mix 50 wt. hours of melted lamb fat, 49 wt. hours of linseed oil and 1 wt. h. turpentine. Apply to dry, heated skin.

3. A mixture (in wt. h.) of paraffin, wax, rosin (2:3:1) melt, add 1 wt. hours of clay-kaolin powder.

If you are a tourist, a hunter, a fisherman, or, then for sure you have a tent, an awning, a raincoat or any other item of equipment, clothing that you rely on in case of rainy weather, snow. Then this information may be relevant.

Before buying a tent, you need to know that manufacturers must use high-strength materials for its manufacture. Nylon and polyester are the best for these purposes. More recently, tent manufacturers preferred polyester, but due to the constant development of the textile industry, new technologies for processing fabrics appear, and today nylon is ahead of polyester in a number of important characteristics. In addition to the fact that nylon is softer and more resistant to tearing, an important aspect is the lower cost of its production compared to polyester.

In the conditions of production, three main types of impregnations and treatments of fabrics are now used, which make it possible to improve the quality of product operation. The task of such manipulations is to maximize the quality of the fabric used: to increase the degree of water resistance, resistance to possible loads, protection from ultraviolet radiation, increase the service life, etc.

The main types of modern fabric impregnations include PU - coating (polyurethane impregnation), PU / SI - coating (polyurethane impregnation with silicone) and W / R - water-repellent impregnation. Each of the above types of coatings has its own advantages and disadvantages, which affect, among other things, the cost of the product.

Tents of the "past generation" made of tarpaulin or rep, raincoat - tent fabric get wet even when they are new. Products made of rubberized percale or water-repellent fabrics begin to get wet after a few seasons, and they are supposed to last much longer. If you have already bought a tent and it usually gets wet in the rain, what advice can you give in such a case? Firstly, it is good to pull the tent. Secondly, do not touch her when she is wet. In this case, water will begin to flow through the pores drop by drop.

In guides for tourists, they often write preparations for impregnating tents at home. But in practice it is much more convenient to use plastic wraps than the above recipes - this is too troublesome. But if you are determined to try out homemade fabric processing, these tips are for you.

There are three options for impregnating materials to increase their strength and water-repellent properties. The first way is chemical treatment. The disadvantage is that with this treatment, the gaps between the threads of the fabric are not filled, and when touching a wet fabric, it will begin to leak. In addition, impregnation will need to be carried out annually. The next method is the impregnation of the fabric with a composition consisting of oil or wax, which fills the gaps between the threads of the fabric. Although the end result of the fabric is impervious to both air and moisture, but the weight is significantly increased, and flexibility is reduced. With careful handling of the fabric, the impregnation can last for several years. The third way is impregnation with compounds that contain fish oil, casein, glue (better - carpentry). After such impregnation, the material of the tent becomes significantly denser.

So, here are the recipes.

Chemical compositions:

Dissolve 500 grams of laundry soap in 5 liters of boiling water. It is good to let the material soak, squeeze out a little water. For a short time, soak a damp cloth in water diluted with ordinary (potassium-aluminum) alum (500 grams per 5 liters of water, to enhance the impregnation, you need to take 1000 grams or a saturated solution). Dry gently without squeezing out the water.

Dissolve 450 grams of brown soap in 4.5 liters of boiling water, add 250 grams of laundry soda and 450 grams of rosin powder in the same way. The above methods of impregnation are good, but the first one has two advantages: simplicity and a small amount of time (often used to process networks).

The most optimal in terms of simplicity and efficiency is the treatment with a mixture of alum with the addition of lead acetate. In the first container, 150 grams of lead acetate and three liters of water are dissolved, in the second - 150 grams of ordinary alum. After the mixtures have settled, we combine them. Pour out the sediment. After the precipitation, after a couple of hours, the procedure is repeated. For a day, soak the material in this liquid. Dry carefully, do not wring. Rinse the dishes well from the toxic solution!

Dissolve 400 grams of alum in 2.25 liters of hot water, add 9.125 liters of water. We keep the fabric in this mixture for a day, then we lower it into the following composition for 6-7 hours: 225 grams of lead acetate with the addition of 9.125 liters of water.

Soak the material in a 40% mixture of laundry soap, squeeze out a little water and dip it in a 15 - 20% solution of copper sulfate. Lightly squeeze and dry. The material is painted in a protective color.

Impregnations based on oil and paraffin:

We mix two liters of gasoline, gently heated, with 300 grams of paraffin, 300 grams of petroleum jelly, 100 grams of glycerin. Soak the material in the heated mixture for 25-30 minutes. During processing and drying, observe the safety rules - flammable!

Bring 1 kilogram of drying oil and 200 grams of paraffin to complete dissolution. With this hot mixture, treat the tent, paying special attention to the seams. Dry.

150 grams of litharge (lead oxide), 130 grams of umber and 11 liters of flax oil cook on fire for two hours, stirring constantly. Lubricate the fabric with the finished hot mixture.

Casein and Glue Mixes:

Prepare three mixtures (50 grams of fish glue in boiling water; 10 grams of alum in 0.3 liters of water; and a gram of white soap in 0.15-0.20 liters of water). Mix them together in one bowl. Lubricate the fabric with this solution. Lubricate the inside with the mixture until the top gets wet.

Mix 40 grams of alum, 20 grams of fish glue and 10 grams of white soap in 1 liter of water. The fabric treated with this composition, wring out, moisten with a 4% solution of lead acetate.