Fabrication of superhydrophobic fabric coating using microphase‐separated dodecafluoroheptyl‐containing polyacrylate and nanosilica

Abstract

Superhydrophobic coating was developed on cotton fabric in this article using a dodecafluoroheptyl-containing polyacrylate (DFPA) and nanosilica. Film morphology of DFPA on cotton fibers/fabrics and chemical compositions of the treated cotton fabric were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. DFPA could form a relatively even film on the cotton fabric/fiber under SEM observation; however, it presented a rough and microphase-separated pattern under AFM observation. There were many mountain-like protuberances. The height of the protuberances and the root mean square roughness (R ms ) of the film reached about 20-50 nm and 12.511 nm in 2 Â 2-lm 2 scanning field (as the scale data was 100 nm). XPS analysis indicated that the perfluoroalkyl groups had the tendency to enrich at the film-air interface. DFPA could make the treated cotton fabric with a water contact angle (WCA) at about 138.5 . Cotton fabric was previously roughened using a 1 wt % silica sol with an average particle size of 20-30 nm and then finished by DFPA; hydrophobicity of the resultant cotton fabric was strongly improved, and WCA could reach 153.6 . The color of this superhydrophobic fabric would not be influenced, but its softness decreased compared to untreated fabric.

A facile dip‐coating approach to prepare SiO2/fluoropolymer coating for superhydrophobic and superoleophobic fabrics with self‐cleaning property

“…It is well known that superhydrophobic/superoleophobic surfaces are usually inspired by many biological materials in nature exhibiting an unusual superhydrophobicity/superoleophobicity and self‐cleaning property, such as lotus leaves, rice leaves, red rose petals, butterfly wings, cicada wings, gecko feet, desert beetle, spider silks, and fish scales . Based on the previous reported literatures, it has been found that the presence of special micro/nanostructures and low‐surface‐energy materials on these surfaces are critical for the formation of the superhydrophobicity/superoleophobicity . To mimic the effect, enormous contributions have been made to the design and fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces via two kinds of approaches: either creating rough structures on low‐surface energy substrates or chemically modifying rough substrates with low‐surface energy materials …”

Synthesis, film morphology, and performance on cotton substrates of dodecyl/piperazine functional polysiloxane

“…Effect of textile treatment on its pristine color is expressed as whiteness of the fabrics before and after being treated, which can be determined by a whiteness tester. In addition, bending rigidity (BR) is one of the determining factors in assessing the fabric handle . A decrease in the BR leads to a desirable fabric handle.…”

“…It is well known that properties and application performance of a polymer depend largely on its structure or morphology on substrates . Film morphology does not only affect the surface and performance properties of a polysiloxane but also provide information about the orientation of a film‐forming molecule in an absorbed state, and reveal the film‐forming mechanism .…”

Eco-Friendly Cellulose–Polymer Nanocomposites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

“…The activated cotton textiles, ACT was made of dipping, drying and annealing processes which were carried out by dipping the textile in 1 M NaF solution for 1 h and drying at 120°C, followed by annealed in tubular furnace at 800-1200°C in argon atmosphere for an hour. Counter electrode, Pt foil and working electrode, ACT was immersed into the electrolyte solution of equimolar 0.1 M solution of Mn (CH 3 COO) 2 and Na 2 SO 4 . A constant current 1 mA/cm 2 was applied for 30-240 min to coat the MnO 2 , and then fabrics were washed with deionised water to remove the electrolyte and then dried in oven at 100°C for 3 h. Such fabrics have resistivity of 10-20 Ω/sq which is enough to get the supercapacitor behaviour on the textiles.…”