Effect of silane treatment on hydrophobicity of all-cellulose composite (ACC) treated with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS).

All-cellulose composite (ACC) is a novel single component bio-based material that consists of cellulose for both fiber and matrix phases. ACC has good mechanical, thermal and optical properties due to the compatibility of fiber and matrix phases. However, abundant hydroxyl groups in the cellulose molecules make ACC hydrophilic thus limiting the potential outdoor applications of ACC. In this present study, the ACC was fabricated by using solvent infusion processing (SIP) from rayon textile. The NaOH/urea was used as the solvent to partially dissolve the cellulose. Then, ACC was treated with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) to produce hydrophobic ACC. The FTIR spectra of HDTMS treated ACC showed the new peak appears at 2850 cm−1, 1103 cm−1, and 793 cm−1 that attributed to -CH2 stretching, asymmetric stretching of Si-O-Si band and Si-OH stretching vibrations, respectively. The surface morphology of HDTMS treated ACC was rougher compared to untreated ACC. Furthermore, the HDTMS treated ACC exhibited significant hydrophobicity with a high water contact angle that can go up to 145.1°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]