Surface modification of polyester-cotton (TC 70%) fabric by corona discharged plasma with tip-cylinder electrode configuration-assisted coating carbon black conductive ink for electromagnetic shielding fabric

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate corona discharge plasma's effectiveness with tip-cylinder electrode configuration to enhance the coating process for making anti-radiation fabric using coating by carbon black conductive ink. In this research, carbon black conductive ink was applied to various woven fabric types by the knife coating technique and pretreatment using a corona discharged plasma generator to develop an electromagnetic shielding material. The anti-radiation patch fabric was designed by modifying the textile woven fabric's surface using atmospheric pressure plasma technology using tip-cylinder electrode configuration at room temperature, atmospheric pressure, ambient gases, etc.; the plasma-treated woven fabric was then coated with carbon black conductive ink. In this study, the influence of pretreatment of woven fabric by corona discharge plasma as the wetting properties, the surface modification and the value of the anti-radiation electromagnetic field, i.e., E field and H field radiation, were determined and measured by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope), digital microscope, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, wetting test (using the drop test with AATCC Test Method), and simulation by a computer program. The result of this research indicated that an anti-radiation woven fabric by pretreatment of corona discharged plasma with tip-cylinder electrodes configuration successfully absorbed electromagnetic radiation from smartphone radiation (as the source of radiation). It can be concluded that the current research will be beneficial for the fabrication of various simple and low-cost electromagnetic shielding fabric based on coating by carbon black conductive ink and pretreatment by corona discharged plasma.