Preparation and characterization of novel hydrophobic cellulose fabrics with polyvinylsilsesquioxane functional coatings

A series of novel hydrophobic cotton fabrics with polyvinylsilsesquioxane (PVS) polymer functional coatings were successfully prepared by solution immersion. The influence of the added amount of PVS polymer on the morphology, resistance to thermal and thermooxidative degradation, and hydrophobic properties of the treated cotton fabrics was studied by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and water contact angle measurements, respectively. The experimental results show that the PVS polymer formed a protective film on the surface of the cotton fibers; the resistance to thermal and thermooxidative degradation, and the water-repellent properties of the novel cotton fabrics were also improved with increasing added amount of PVS polymer, compared with that of reference material. The enhancement in the thermal properties of the treated cotton fabrics can likely be attributed to synergistic carbonization between the PVS protective layer and the cellulose fibers during thermal degradation. Meanwhile, it was also found that, with increasing added amount of PVS polymer, the hydrophobicity of the treated cotton fabrics was greatly improved. The noticeable improvement in the hydrophobicity of the treated cotton fabrics is ascribed to the combination of low-surface-energy PVS film and the intrinsically rough surface of the woven cotton fabrics. This strategy for fabricating novel cellulose fabrics provides a guide for the development of high-performance functional cellulose fabrics with tunable properties in the textile industry.