Fluorine-free and durably superhydrophobic PET fabric for self-cleaning, oil-water separation and anti-icing

Superhydrophobic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics hold significant potential applications in fields of self-cleaning, oil-water separation, and anti-icing. However, several challenges, such as complex preparation procedures, significant modifications to the intrinsic material properties, and insufficient durability, have restricted their practical application. To address the aforementioned challenges, this study initially dissolved a silane coupling agent, fumed silica (SiO 2 ) particles, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in chloroform to prepare the finishing solution. Subsequently, the finishing solution was applied to PET fabric via the pad-dry-cure process, thereby forming a superhydrophobic layer on the fabric surface. The modified PET fabric exhibits excellent superhydrophobic performance, with a water contact angle (WCA) was reached to 156.5° ± 0.8°. In addition, even after undergoing 800 abrasion cycles or 50 laundering cycles, the modified PET fabric retains its superhydrophobic properties without significant degradation, demonstrating excellent mechanical durability. The durable superhydrophobic surface on the modified PET fabrics facilitates their expanded application in fields of apparel and industrial textiles.