Sustainable Fabrication of Transparent, Durable, and Hydrophobic Coatings Using Recycled Polyvinyl Butyral

ABSTRACT With the rising cost of polymers and the growing environmental impact of plastic waste, polymer recycling and reuse have become increasingly critical for sustainable material development. Here, we report the recovery and reuse of polyvinyl butyral (PVB)—a widely employed interlayer polymer—and investigate its application in self‐cleaning surface coatings. Hydrophobic composite coatings were fabricated by incorporating trichloro(octadecyl)silane (OTS) and OTS‐functionalized silica nanoparticles into a recycled PVB (rPVB) matrix, followed by spray coating onto glass substrates. The coatings exhibited a water contact angle of 105.2° ± 0.1° and approximately 70% optical transmittance in the visible region. The coatings maintained their hydrophobic properties after 15 h of solvent exposure, 80 h of ultraviolet/daylight radiation, and 40 cycles of mechanical abrasion. Remarkably, they also demonstrated self‐cleaning performance against solid (dust, ketchup, coffee) and liquid (milk, juice, methylene blue and methyl orange solutions) contaminants. The research highlights the potential of rPVB‐based composites, offering a cost‐effective, environmentally friendly approach for fabricating transparent, durable, and self‐cleaning coatings.