Fabrication of superhydrophobic and enhanced flame-retardant coatings over cotton fabric

A modified cotton fabric with both flame-retardant and superhydrophobic properties was prepared using copper, 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole, silver and octatriethoxysilane via trilayer coatings over the cotton fabric. The surface morphology of the cotton fabric before and after coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The wetting behaviour of the as-modified cotton fabrics was studied by contact angle measurements and results revealed that the as-coated samples have maximum contact angle of 155 degrees. Besides, the as-prepared textiles also have good oil absorption ability and can be used for oil spill cleanup applications. Moreover, the modified fabric was found to have good chemical and mechanical stability. Thus, results of the study demonstrate that this method could well be a significant strategy to develop superhydrophobic textiles with special properties in the near future.