Abstract
In this study, cotton textile samples, commonly used in making quilt covers were subjected to atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge treatment to study their surface wettability and absorbancy. Samples were treated in the discharge using a rotatory mechanism and the effects of plasma treatment were examined by contact angle measurement and weight measurement. Air plasma treatment was successful in incorporating hydrophilic functional groups on the textile surface due to which wettability as well as absorbancy immediately after the treatment were highly improved. Effects of plasma treatment started to appear only after 20 cycles (9 mins) and got saturated after 24 cycles (10.8 mins) of treatment. The contact angle reduced from 137 ° (untreated sample) to a value less than 30 ° while absorbancy increased by more than two times as compared to untreated sample. Also, the aging behavior of the plasma treated samples were studied for about a week after plasma treatment. It was observed that the induced oxygen containing groups re-oriented into the bulk of the material during their storage in the environment due to which initial properties of the samples recovered gradually. Our results indicate that low temperature plasma can be successfully applied to modify the properties of textiles and textile industries could utilize this by standardization.
Highlights
IntroductionPolymeric fibers are widely used in many industrial and bio-medical applications due to their excellent material properties like low density, high flexibility and high chemical resistance.[1] Despite these properties, they are often unsuitable for use due to their low surface free energy, leading to poor wettability and poor adhesion.[2] By modifying the surface of the these polymeric fibers, surface roughness is increased and moisture absorption is decreased making them more attractive.[3] Over the years, several methods have been developed to modify the polymer surface for improved adhesion, wettability, printability, dye uptake, and other technologically important characteristics using various techniques like wet chemical treatment, mechanical abrasion, flame treatment, biological treatment, sonification using nano particles, plasma processing, etc.[4] Since, textile industry is one of the most polluting industry because of the various processes such as singeing, desizing, scouring, bleaching, mercerization, dyeing, etc., these processes pollute the environment and water resources.[5] Economical and ecological pressure on textile industry requires the development of economic and environmental friendly “green” processes
In recent years, polymeric fibers are widely used in many industrial and bio-medical applications due to their excellent material properties like low density, high flexibility and high chemical resistance.[1]
Many spiky current peaks (Fig. 2(a)) are observed during the rising and falling part of the applied voltage which show that the discharge is filamentary. These spiky peaks of current waveforms are responsible for the formation of various reactive species such as singlet oxygen (O), Hydroxyl radical (OH), Ozone (O3), excited nitrogen (N2+), nitric oxide (NO), etc
Summary
Polymeric fibers are widely used in many industrial and bio-medical applications due to their excellent material properties like low density, high flexibility and high chemical resistance.[1] Despite these properties, they are often unsuitable for use due to their low surface free energy, leading to poor wettability and poor adhesion.[2] By modifying the surface of the these polymeric fibers, surface roughness is increased and moisture absorption is decreased making them more attractive.[3] Over the years, several methods have been developed to modify the polymer surface for improved adhesion, wettability, printability, dye uptake, and other technologically important characteristics using various techniques like wet chemical treatment, mechanical abrasion, flame treatment, biological treatment, sonification using nano particles, plasma processing, etc.[4] Since, textile industry is one of the most polluting industry because of the various processes such as singeing, desizing, scouring, bleaching, mercerization, dyeing, etc., these processes pollute the environment and water resources.[5] Economical and ecological pressure on textile industry requires the development of economic and environmental friendly “green” processes. Plasma treatment of textile is attractive in the sense that it is clean, dry technology and much less energy is consumed than equivalent
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