Superhydrophobic properties of jute originated by synergistic effect of argon plasma and HDTMS coating

In order to improve de-wetting abilities, this study examines the surface modification of jute fabrics using the complementary effects of RF plasma etching and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) chemical processing. Functional groups were made more readily available on the surface by RF plasma treatment, which subsequently helped HDTMS coating create a long-lasting, superhydrophobic jute surface. After 5,10 and 15 minutes of treatment at 30W, 60W, and 90W RF power, respectively, the jute fabric is coated with a 2% HDTMS solution in ethanol. These materials' morphological, chemical, and wettability characteristics were examined using a variety of characterization methods. ATR-FTIR spectra show that the functional groups have changed; for example, the stretching of -CH₂ and -OH is reduced after plasma treatment, while HDTMS enhances the stretching of -CH₂. From SEM, it is observed that the debris and wax present on the surface are removed after the plasma treatment and further porous textures are generated at 90 W power treatments. Fibrillia structure of jute is visible after the plasma treatment in SEM images, which is covered by HDTMS coating and makes it superhydrophobic. Wetting time was evaluated to study the performance of the modified fabrics in terms of water resistance capability. There is ~220 times enhancement in the de-wetting time and 50.07% reduction in the adhesive force observed for 90W (10 min) + HDTMS treated jute compared to raw jute. The results show that superhydrophobic properties have significantly improved, showing that RF plasma and HDTMS treatment work well together to improve jute fabric functionality.