Preparation of Superhydrophobic Nonwoven Fabrics via PDMS-Cross-Linked SiO₂ and ZnO for Effective Oil–Water Separation and Antibacterial Properties

Ship discharges and offshore crude oil spills pose significant challenges to human health and environmental safety. Superhydrophobic coatings exhibit excellent water-repellent properties and can be widely applied in fields such as oily wastewater treatment and oil spill remediation. In this study, a superhydrophobic nonwoven fabric (SNWF) was fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), nanosilicon dioxide (Nano-SiO2), and nanozinc oxide (Nano-ZnO). The water contact angle (WCA) of the SNWF reaches 155°. Furthermore, the SNWF demonstrates an excellent separation performance for various oil–water mixtures, with a separation efficiency of 95%. Even after 200 cycles of mechanical manual kneading and rubbing as well as exposure to varying pH conditions and temperatures, the SNWF retains its superhydrophobicity and exhibits excellent abrasion resistance and weatherability. Additionally, the incorporation of Nano-ZnO into the coating significantly enhances the antimicrobial properties of the SNWF. The SNWF fabricated in this study features stability, low cost, and ease of large-scale production, thus showing considerable potential for practical applications.