Preparation of nano-SiO2 polyacrylate fluorine-free anti-fouling finishing agent and its application on cotton fabric

Aqueous emulsion polymerization prepared a nano-SiO₂ polyacrylate fluorine-free anti-fouling finishing agent in this study. The finishing agent was prepared by copolymerizing nano-SiO₂ modified by KH-570 silane coupling agent with 3-[Tris(trimethylsilyloxy)silyl]propyl methacrylate (M3T) and stearyl methacrylate (SMA). The polymer emulsion has a uniform particle size distribution and can meet the use temperature below 160 °C. It also has good stability under solid acid/alkali conditions. The prepared anti-fouling finishing agent was applied to the cotton fabric by a two-dip and two-roll finishing process, and a polymer film containing nanoparticles can form on the surface of the cotton fiber. The experimental results showed that the finished cotton fabric’s apparent roughness increases, making it superhydrophobic. The water contact angle of the finished cotton fabric is 159 °, and it is still not lower than 150 ° after 10 washing cycles and 50 abrasion cycles. At the same time, it also has an excellent water-repellent function, and the spray test score reaches 100 (iSO-5). In addition, the coffee grounds sprinkled on the surface of the finished cotton fabric can roll off with the droplets, showing its self-cleaning ability. Most importantly, it has a specific anti-vegetable oil function because common vegetable oil can stay on its surface for 5 min without thoroughly wetting. It is worth noting that the preparation process is economical, environmentally friendly, and fluorine-free.