A self-healing fluorine-free superhydrophobic cotton fabric under heat stimulation

Superhydrophobic cotton fabrics have been widely explored for their excellent properties, although there are still a few limitations in the practical applications for the reasons of poor environmental performance and short service life. In this study, the hexadecyltrimethoxysilane emulsion was prepared using O-2-plasma and ultrasound for the superhydrophobic functional finishing of raw cotton fabric by immersion method. The prepared cotton fabrics showed a superior hydrophobicity with water contact angles larger than 156.0 degrees, as well as an excellent self-healing ability. This self-healing ability was gained by simple heating treatment, which could restore the superhydrophobicity of the hydrophilic cotton fabric damaged by abrasion or O-2-plasma treatment. The superhydrophobic cotton fabrics demonstrated excellent washing durability, which can withstand 50 times accelerated laundering cycles. Besides this, the superhydrophobic coatings also displayed fair chemical stability in strong acidic and alkaline solutions. The prepared nonfluorinated superhydrophobic cotton fabric with self-healing ability shows a potential for practical functional textile application.