Improved mechanical, anti-UV, antibacterial and hydrophobic properties of hemp cellulose fabrics with nano-ZnO and perfluorooctanol-decorated waterborne polyurethane coating

Multifunctional cellulose-based textiles with high strength, anti-UV, antibacterial and hydrophobic properties are desirable in diversified applications. However, it is still a challenge to manufacture such multifunctional cellulose-based textiles. In this study, a multifunctional waterborne polyurethane (WPU) coating decorated with nano-ZnO and perfluorooctanol (F13) was prepared, and then applied to hemp cellulose fabric finishing. In order to disperse and incorporate nano-ZnO into WPU matrix, nano-ZnO was first modified with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (KH-550). Subsequently, KH-550 modified nano-ZnO and F13 were simultaneously introduced into the WPU skeleton. The structural characteristics of nano-ZnO and F13-decorated WPU (ZnO/FWPU) were studied. Influences of nano-ZnO content on the hydrophobic, antibacterial, and UV resistant of ZnO/FWPU treated hemp cellulose fabric were systematically investigated. The results show that the water contact angle (WCA) of the coated fabric increased from 0° to 135.6°, and it has good-staining ability. Encouragingly, the ZnO/FWPU coating is universal and can improve the hydrophobicity of materials including cotton fabric, polyester cotton, paper, hardboard, and balsa wood, with WCA ranging from 119.05° to 133.84°. Meanwhile, the coated fabric are effective against S. aureus and E. coli , and antibacterial rate was 99.5 % and 99.7 %, respectively. Moreover, the fabric has an excellent anti-UV properties with UPF 50+. The mechanical strength of the fabric is significantly improved, and the breaking strength is increased by 27 % (warp) and 29 % (weft). After repeated washing, the fabric still maintains high mechanical, antibacterial, and hydrophobic properties. This study offers a new opportunity for integrating multiple functions onto a hemp cellulose fabric for multitask requirements.