Durable fire retardant, superhydrophobic, abrasive resistant and air/UV stable coatings

Fabric-based materials such as textiles and papers are widely used in our daily life. However, most of conventional fabrics are highly combustible and easily stained by water and household liquids, susceptible to fire risks and surface contamination/staining. Herein, a non-fluorinated coating that contains the flame-retardants ammonium polyphosphate/pentaerythrotol (APP/PER) and water-repellent silica nanoparticles-polydimethylsiloxane (SiO₂@PDMS) is developed. The coated fabric materials prevent fire propagation and are repellant to water, coffee, milk etc. The heat release rate of the SiO₂@PDMS/APP/PER-coated cotton fabric is 46.33% lower than that of pure cotton fabric, and the amount of the char yield is increased by 40.4%. The coatings are durable, resistant to mechanical abrasion and have a long life-time exposure to corrosive liquids and intense UV radiation. The coated fabric materials also exhibit good organic solvent/oil and water separation capability at reduced risks of fire. The facile process can be extended to garment and paper industries to lower the fire risks and resist water stains.