Synthesis and Application of Fluorine-Free Waterborne Polyurethane-Acrylate Water-Repellent Finishing Agent

Functional textiles are widely concerned because of their potential applications in various fields, water-repellent textiles play a vital role in functional textiles because of their huge practical needs. However, the realization of water-repellent finishing agent with high stability and heat resistance has remained an open challenge, limiting the further application of water-repellent textiles. Herein, waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is prepared by introducing C = C bonds into polyurethane (PU) side chains using trimethylolpropane monoallyl ether (TMPME) as a grafting agent by self-emulsification. As a seed emulsion, WPU is further copolymerized with acrylate monomers to prepare waterborne polyurethane/acrylate (WPUA). Interestingly, the WPUA emulsions with obvious core–shell structure exhibit excellent storage stability and heat resistance, which can cover the fabric surface and form a thin film. The static contact angle up to 151° imparts excellent water repellency to the fabric. Thus, a water-repellent finishing agent was successfully assembled, which possesses high reference value for designing and preparing such materials. Graphical Abstract