Fluorine-free oil repellency

Developing high-performance alternatives to fluorinated textile finishes is a key challenge for the textile industry—especially when it comes to oil repellency. While superhydrophobic coatings are well researched, comparable solutions for oleophobicity remain limited, as oil repellency strongly depends on the type of oil and cannot be mimicked using natural models.

This project explores a novel approach based on repulsive van der Waals interactions. The goal is to develop a fluorine-free textile finish with both oil- and water-repellent properties. The innovative solution combines nanoporous structures (re-entrant structures) with thin polymer layers containing hydrophilic SiO₂ nanocapsules. The main challenge lies in the textile application of this advanced coating system.

Further Information can be found here.