Dip-Coating Approach to Fabricate Durable PDMS/STA/SiO<sub>2</sub> Superhydrophobic Polyester Fabrics

The facile, simple, highly efficient, and fluorine-free fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on fabrics with high durability has attracted considerable attention because of its urgent practical application. The simple dip-coating method was adopted to make a stable and durable polydimethylsiloxa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaoli Liu, Youcai Gu, Tengfei Mi, Xiaomei Wang, Xu Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Coatings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/11/3/326
Description
Summary:The facile, simple, highly efficient, and fluorine-free fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on fabrics with high durability has attracted considerable attention because of its urgent practical application. The simple dip-coating method was adopted to make a stable and durable polydimethylsiloxane/stearic acid/silica (PDMS/STA/SiO<sub>2</sub>) superhydrophobic fabric. The fabric’s surface morphology, roughness, and composition were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The PDMS/STA/SiO<sub>2</sub>-coated fabric: demonstrated strong superhydrophobicity (a water contact angle (WCA) of around 163°), efficiently repelled different liquids (milk, coffee, orange juice, Coca-Cola, and 1 M of HCl and NaOH) with a contact angle above 155°, had excellent self-cleaning performance, and retained superhydrophobicity with a WCA greater than 150° after 72 h of ultraviolet irradiation and 700 cycles of mechanical abrasion. The PDMS/STA/SiO<sub>2</sub> coating had few influences on the color fastness of the fabric. Superhydrophobic coatings are expected to be practically applied in the textile industry.
ISSN:2079-6412