Mesoporous silica/epoxy coated cotton fabric for durable oil-water separation

A simple, durable, superior UV-shielded, self-cleanable, hydrophobic/superoleophile cotton fabric was developed using SBA-15 mesoporous silica and epoxy coating (SE). The cotton fabric surfaces after coating with SE showed the highest water contact angle value of 146° and lowest surface free energy of 13.9 mN/m. As a filtration membrane, the developed SE/cotton delivered 95.8% oil–water separation efficiency with a notable flux value of 6800 L/m2h against diesel–water mixture. The presence of an epoxy and silica hybrid layer on the surfaces of cotton fabric induced self-cleaning behavior and notable durability against UV light (UPF-29), pH resistance, washing fastness, and mechanical abrasion. Hence, the present coating developed using mesoporous silica and epoxy can be applied to different types of textile substrates to construct durable low-cost membranes.