Fabrication of water-repellent polyester textile via dip-coating of in-situ surface-modified superhydrophobic calcium carbonate from dolomite

Incorporating hydrophobic and superhydrophobic properties in textile surfaces has gained significant scientific and industrial attention due to its potential applications in outdoor wear and protective textiles. In this study, we have developed a novel, cost-effective and facile process to transform water-absorbing polyester fabric into a water-resistant textile which exhibits hydrophobicity by applying an ultra-thin layer of surface-modified superhydrophobic precipitated calcium carbonate (SHPCC) by dip-coating method. Dolomite was used as the calcium precursor for synthesizing SHPCC while stearic acid (SA) was used as the surface modifier for calcium carbonate and surface binder of synthesized SHPCC to the textile. The wetting property and surface morphology of the treated fabrics were characterized using contact angle/sliding angle measurements, FE-SEM, FTIR and TG analysis. Results show that the wettability of the fabric has been diminished to different hydrophobic and superhydrophobic levels under varying experimental conditions such as ageing time, SA and SHPCC particle concentration. The hydrophobic layer exhibits self-cleaning behavior and it retains with reasonable durability under tested conditions of mechanical abrasion and washings.