Synthesis and Application of Fluorine-free Environment-friendly Stearic Acid-based Oil and Water Repellent for Cotton Fabric

Fluorinated compounds are exceptional to exhibit good as well as durable oil and water repellency. However, due to their adverse effect on human and ecology, these compounds are under immense pressure. In this research, stearic acid which is a long-chain bio-based fatty acid is polymerized with a bio-based cross-linker citric acid in the presence of a catalyst. Stearic acid is a fluorine-free, environment-friendly, and nontoxic compound as compared to fluorinated compounds. Optimization of various parameters such as dosage of monomers, polymerization conditions, time, and temperature was carried out. The optimized recipe treated cotton fabric exhibited appreciable oil and water repellency and contact angle as well as the additional performance properties like crease recovery, soil resistance, antimicrobial performance, and shrinkage. Furthermore, the characterization of finished fabric was also carried out by SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR, 1 H-NMR spectroscopy analysis.