Evaluation of self-cleaning and stain-resistant property of SHP fabric
Normally, super hydrophobic surfaces exhibit self-cleaning
property owing to the nature of water repellancy. To validate the
self-cleaning property of as obtained SHP fabrics, 50 mg of
hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) powder was used as the model
contaminant that was sprinkled over the fabric [Fig. 5(a) and (c)].
The contaminant was effectively cleaned up while placing 500 ml of distilled water through clinical syringe [43]. The water droplets
takes up the shape of beads and subsequently grown up,
simultaneously picking up all the GO powder on its surface and
makes the fabric dirt free. These water droplets easily float on the
SHP fabric and engulf all the GO powder found on the fabric when
they are tilted and adjusted to do so [Fig. 5(b) and (d)].
Similarly, the stain-resistant behaviour of the prepared SHP
fabric was evaluated by placing a drop of stain causing solution
over the fabric. Methyl violet (MV) solution was taken as the stain
causing solution and was placed over the uncoated and SHP coated
fabric. The SHP coated fabric was not wetted by the dyed water
droplets, instead typical spherical drops were formed due to the
SHP property [Fig. 6(b) and (c)]. While, the uncoated fabric absorbs
the water drops straightway and stained (blue shade) by the MV
present in the water [Fig. 6(a)]. These experimental interpretation
substantiates the non-wettable, self-cleaning, and stain-resistant
nature of the prepared SHP fabric.