Preparation of superhydrophobic poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric by high-temperature sucrose fatty ester inlaying and esterification

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric was modified by high-temperature sucrose fatty ester (SFE) inlaying and acetic anhydride-mediated acetylation at 40 degrees C to generate a superhydrophobic material. The water contact angle increased from 105.3 degrees to 154.7 degrees, while the water sliding angle decreased from 41 degrees to 8.2 degrees upon modification. In addition, the spray rating increased from 2 to 5, and the water absorption rate decreased from 97.8% to 26.0%. Multiple washing and abrasion negligibly affected the hydrophobicity of the resulting fabric. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the hydrophobic fibers were characterized by extremely rough surfaces. Fourier-transform infrared spectra demonstrated that the SFE was inlaid into the PET fibers and that almost all sugar hydroxyl groups were acetylated. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry suggested that the chemical process did not alter the main PET fiber structure. Furthermore, the fabric retained its ultimate tensile strength, breaking elongation, elastic wrinkle recovery, whiteness, and rigidity as well as its air and moisture permeability. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.