Coating of metal oxide added polymer composites on different types of fabrics and investigation of their multifunctional properties

Superhydrophobic surfaces are obtained with low surface energy and rough micro-nano textures. Fluorocarbons are often used for hydrophobic modification to obtain such structures. However, fluorinated compounds are expensive, pollute the environment and are potentially toxic. Due to the environmental hazards of fluorinated compounds, fluorinated materials such as PDMS stand out with their environmental advantages. Superhydrophobic fabrics are important in the textile industry with their water repellent, self-cleaning, UV protection and flame retardant properties. However, the production of multifunctional fabrics with fluorine-free and low-cost methods is still a challenge. The effect of green synthesized ZnO nanoparticles on superhydrophobicity has not been investigated sufficiently. This study aimed to develop fluorine-free, superhydrophobic polyester and viscose fabrics by simple dip coating method and to investigate the performance of these nanoparticles. In this context, composites were prepared in different combinations by obtaining SiO2 nanoparticles synthesized by sol-gel and ZnO nanoparticles from quince seed mucilage by green synthesis. The self-cleaning properties (photocatalytic effect), superhydrophobicity and UV protection factor (UPF) performance of these combinations on different types of textile fabrics were investigated. Composites prepared in different combinations (PDMS, PDMS/ZnO, PDMS/SiO2-ZnO/PDMS, ZnO/SiO2-PDMS, SiO2/ZnO/PDMS and SiO2/PDMS) were compared with the coatings applied to viscose and polyester fabrics. Viscose and polyester fabrics coated with ZnO/SiO2-PDMS showed the best performance in terms of superhydrophobicity, with average contact angles of 111.3° and 144.7°, respectively. The UPF value of the viscose fabric coated with ZnO/PDMS-SiO2/PDMS was found to be 32, and it was observed that it could provide excellent UV protection. This thesis study has addressed the effect of increasing UV protection, photocatalytic effect and superhydrophobicity performance of fabrics coated with composites prepared in different combinations. The fact that ZnO nanoparticles are obtained from quince seed mucilage by environmentally friendly methods such as green synthesis is very important in terms of sustainability. This study will contribute to the development of environmentally friendly products in the textile sector by nanotechnology.