Improvement of surface property of polyester fabric treated with poly(ethylene glycol) and low temperature plasma.

Abstract

Polyester fabrics were pretreated with poly (ethylene glycol) with average molecular weight from 400 to 10, 000, and then low temperature plasma treatment were carried out using air, oxygen, nitrogen, and argon. After washing with hot water or home laundering, antistatic, hydrophilic, and oil release properties of the treated polyester fabrics were measured. The change in fiber surface structure was analyzed by ESCA. A polyester film sample was also treated by oxygen plasma after the poly (ethylene glycol) pretreatment. The surface free energy of the film was calculated from the Zisman plot and the extended Fowkes equation. Polyester fabrics with excellent antistatic, hydrophilic and oil release properties were obtained by low temperature plasma treatment after poly (ethylene glycol) pretreatment. These properties were retained after heat treatment and repeated home laundering. The ESCA analysis confirmed that pretreated poly (ethylene glycol) reacted with the polyester fiber during the low temperature plasma treat ment.