Water-Repellent Spray for Textiles Using Plant Waste from Conifer Trees

• Published in: ACS applied engineering materials 2024-05, Vol.2 (5), p.1288-1297
• Main Authors: Fleetwood, Sara K, Bell, Sydney, Jetter, Reinhard, Foster, E Johan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2771-9545; 2771-9545
• DOI: 10.1021/acsaenm.4c00116

A superhydrophobic textile coating, applied by using a home drying machine, was developed as an aqueous dispersion of waxes that were extracted from recycled Christmas trees. Because the bulk extraction of waxes yielded a mixture of hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds, a purification process was tested to determine if removing noncrystallizing wax components would enhance the performance of the coating. The performances of coatings created from the crude and enriched extracts were compared, and no significant difference in hydrophobicity was found. Moreover, although the enriched coating was slightly more breathable, there was not enough of an improvement to justify the additional purification steps, rendering the crude extract more industrially viable. Overall, Christmas tree waxes are readily sourced and are capable of producing superhydrophobic coatings without the need for a costly purification step.