Non-fluorine surface modification of acetylated birch for improved water repellence

Abstract In this work, a non-fluorinated surface treatment, i.e., hydrophobized silicone nanofilaments, was applied on both birch and acetylated wood samples via gas-phase based reaction. A superhydrophobic behavior observed the surface-modified as revealed by static water contact angles (CAs) greater than 160°, also valid for prepared with shortest reaction time of 1 h. The dynamic wettability studied multicycle Wilhelmy plate method. exhibited pronounced enhanced resistance, resulting in very low uptake 3 ± wt% after 100 cycles, which not only about 29 5 times lower that non-surface-modified birch, respectively, but three birch. Moreover, aesthetic appearance maintained modification resulted small color change. This work shows potential preparing super water-repellent modification.