Construction and characterization of pickering emulsion stabilized by amphoteric microgel and its application in cotton fabric.

Studies with regard to how to obtain superhydrophobic properties by directly coating emulsified silicone oil onto the surface of cotton fabric have always been a hot topic in the field of textiles. In this paper, an amphoteric microgel with thermo- and pH-responsive ability was synthesized. Subsequently, a series of Poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) /water emulsions were prepared by using these amphoteric microgels as a Pickering emulsifier. When the PMHS/water system's mass ratio was 5/5 and the microgel content was kept at 2.0 wt%, this emulsion showed good stability allowing the PMHS parts to be dispersed uniformly in aqueous solution. The optical microscopy showed the emulsion's particle size was in a range from 5 to 20 μm and the stability test confirmed that no stratification occurred when this emulsion was subjected to 3000 rpm for 30 min. By using this emulsion as a post-treatment reagent, cotton fabrics with different yarn counts can obtain a water contact angle as high as 150, which is about 25 % higher than commercial emulsifiers. Furthermore, this cotton fabric can hold superhydrophobicity after 50 rubbing cycles and 10 peel-off cycles. The development of this work provides a new direction for the study of the application of microgels.