Preparation of Durable Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabric for Self-cleaning and Oil-water Separation

Improving the surface roughness and reducing the surface energy are the main strategies for constructing cotton fabrics with superhydrophobic surface. However, the complex finishing process and poor durability still impede the production and application of superhydrophobic cotton fabrics. Therefore, it is critical to produce superhydrophobic fabrics with excellent durability via a noncomplicated method. In this work, monomers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFMA) were polymerized via free radical polymerization to produce a fluoropolymer. Then, the fabric was coated with the fluoropolymer to construct a superhydrophobic surface via the pad-dry-cure technology. The TFMA unit in the fluoropolymer had lower surface energy than the MMA unit. Under the high-temperature curing condition, the MMA unit in the fluoropolymer was grafted onto the cotton fabric via transesterification, and the TFMA was exposed on the fabric surface. The finished fabric showed durable superhydrophobic properties, outstanding oil-water separation properties, and excellent self-cleaning properties. Given the results, the finished fabric has great potential application in clothing and industrial fields.