The enhanced self-cleaning property of clothing fabrics through surface-fluorinated undamaged PGMA/PVDF co-modification

Cotton-based clothing fabrics are welcome because they are warm, close-fitting, hygroscopic and breathable. However, surface hydrophilic hydroxyls will make them easy to stick to stains. High-cost preparing of inorganic nanoparticles can favor a building of hydrophobic coatings for them. To cheaply attain surface self-cleaning attributes of cotton-based fabrics, here, all-organic surface coatings were established utilizing surface-fluorinated uninjured polyglycidyl methacrylate (PGMA)/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) co-modifying. High PVDF dosage incurred a large water contact angle (WCA) of treated fabric, and high hydrophilic attribute of pristine fabric was altered into high hydrophobic one. Antifouling attribute was acquired on the surfaces of treated fabrics, and effective ultraviolet (UV) and wearing resistances of the optimal coating/fabric composite with feeding 10 wt% of PVDF were fulfilled. The optimal fabric surface demonstrates a superhydrophobic attribute (WCA at 153.5 ± 1.5°). After UV irradiating for 24 h or surface abrasion for 100 cycles, this surface demonstrates a WCA surpassing 140° with a water sliding angle below 16°. The fiber weaving constitution and surface F assembling are critical for performance optimizing. The current research may give an effective route for large-area producing of self-cleaning cotton-based fabrics.