Nano-modification of plasma treated inkjet printing fabrics

Abstract

Purpose – Inkjet printing is becoming increasingly important and popular for the printing of textiles. As one of the environmentally friendly processes, the plasma has been widely used to modify the surface properties of inkjet printing substrates. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nano-modification of plasma on polyester fabric for pigment inkjet printing. The actual printing performance and the related mechanical behavior of samples were also evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – Polyester fabrics were surface modified by atmospheric pressure air plasma with the aim to improve its inkjet printing performance. The effects of plasma treatment on surface properties of fabrics were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The wettability of the samples is evaluated by measurement of contact angles of different polar liquids and surface energy. Breaking strength and elongation, bending rigidity are tested to evaluate the mechanical behavior of treated and control fabrics. Findings – It was found that the nano-modification of plasma markedly improved the anti-bleeding property of inkjet printing fabrics. SEM and XPS analyses indicated that this improved color performance was mainly contributed by not only the etching effect and oxygen containing polar groups induced onto fiber surfaces. In addition, the results of mechanical behavior test indicate no evident reduction of breaking strength and breaking elongation both in warp and weft direction after plasma modification. Originality/value – The surface modification method used here offers an economic and dependable way for pretreatment of inkjet printing fabrics with the advantages of environmental friendly over traditional pretreatment methods.