Cotton waste, which is generated from various processes in a textile mill like carding, blow room, etc. was collected,
cleaned, pre-treated, and processed in a carding machine to make the web. The cotton web was converted to a non-woven
batt through a needle punching process.The non-woven fabric was chemically modified by treating it with silica
nanoparticles synthesized via the Stober process followed by hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS) treatment. The
chemically functionalized fabric was showing super hydrophobic and super oleophilic property.