Dip-Coating Approach to Fabricate Durable PDMS/STA/SiO2 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 polydimethylsiloxane/stearic acid/silica (PDMS/STA/SiO2) 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/SiO2-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/SiO2 coating had few influences on the color fastness of the fabric. Superhydrophobic coatings are expected to be practically applied in the textile industry.