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Volume 13 | Issue 7 | Year 2026 | Article Id. IJME-V13I7P104 | DOI : https://doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V13I7P104

Bio-Waste-Derived Hydrophobic Coatings: A PDMS-Hair Composite with Enhanced Durability

Kaustubh Utpat, Nitin Satpute

Received Revised Accepted Published
07 Apr 2026 04 Jun 2026 01 Jul 2026 30 Jul 2026

Citation :

Kaustubh Utpat, Nitin Satpute, "Bio-Waste-Derived Hydrophobic Coatings: A PDMS-Hair Composite with Enhanced Durability," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, vol. 13, no. 7, pp. 46-56, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V13I7P104

Abstract

The study presents the development and characterization of hydrophobic surfaces for enhanced water repellency using human hair bio-waste material, where the hair particle size is less than 45 μm. A new surface fabrication technique is developed that uses micron-sized hair powder in a PolyDiMethylSiloxane (PDMS) matrix, with particle binding reinforced using stearic acid as a coupling agent. To enhance the durability of the hydrophobic surface, a protective layer of PolyDiMethylSiloxane is deposited on the surface using a custom-designed spraying arrangement. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analyses are conducted to investigate the surface topology and chemical composition of the hydrophobic surface. The experimental results reveal a contact angle of 127°, demonstrating the water-repellent nature of the fabricated surface. Moreover, the surface exhibits remarkable robustness and withstands a drop test from a height of 75 mm. Further, the tilting angle test reveals that a water droplet rolls off the surface when the inclination angle exceeds 19°, with leading and lagging contact angles of 120° and 135°, respectively.

Keywords

Biological materials, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Water Contact Angle, Water repellency.

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