This article attempts to give an overview of the literature on the treatment of textiles with non-thermal plasmas. Because of the enormous amount of potential uses of non-thermal plasmas for the modification of textile products, categorizing the applications is difficult, and therefore a review is given on plasma treatment effects or results rather than on the textile applications that benefit from the treatment.

Non-thermal plasma treatment of textiles

https://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/13846/1/Enzymes%20go%20big-%20surface%20hydrolysis%20and%20functionalisation%20of%20synthetic%20polymers.pdf

Enzymes go big: surface hydrolysis and functionalisation of synthetic polymers

The possibility of using a corona treatment (electrical discharge at atmospheric pressure) for fiber surface activation, which can facilitate the loading of silver nanoparticles (NPs) from colloids onto the polyester (PES) and polyamide (PA) fabrics and thus improve their antibacterial properties, was studied. Bactericidal efficiency and its laundering durability on silver-loaded fabrics for Grampositive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli were evaluated. The fiber morphology after corona treatment and subsequent loading of silver NPs was followed by SEM. Corona-treated fabrics loaded with silver NPs exhibited better antibacterial properties in comparison with untreated fabrics. In order to obtain acceptable laundering durability, it is necessary to use highly concentrated silver colloids. Copyright # 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles deposited on corona-treated polyester and polyamide fabrics

In recent years, plasma treatment technology has attracted more attention in the textile industry, as it seems to be a promising economically and ecologically sound alternative to conventional wet-chemical processing techniques. Plasma surface treatment is a relatively simple process that is clean, solvent-free, time saving, and environmentally friendly. Moreover, plasma treatments offer the possibility to obtain typical textile finishes without changing the key textile properties. The efficiency of plasma treatment depends on several factors including the nature of the substrate and the treatment operating conditions. However, the application of plasma technology to different kinds of textile materials has not been fully exploited. This paper presents a review of the current literature on the surface modification of textiles by low-temperature plasma (LTP) technology. Its main objectives are to (i) investigate the influence of LTP treatment on the surface properties of natural and man made textile materials, (ii) outline the contribution of LTP treatment towards sustainable development, and (iii) examine the hurdles that LTP has to overcome in the textile industry.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs10853-015-9152-4.pdf

A review of low-temperature plasma treatment of textile materials

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of aluminum oxide on nonwoven polypropylene and woven cotton fabric materials can be used to transform and control fiber surface wetting properties. Infrared analysis shows that ALD can produce a uniform coating throughout the nonwoven polypropylene fiber matrix, and the amount of coating can be controlled by the number of ALD cycles. Upon coating by ALD aluminum oxide, nonwetting hydrophobic polypropylene fibers transition to either a metastable hydrophobic or a fully wetting hydrophilic state, consistent with well-known Cassie-Baxter and Wenzel models of surface wetting of roughened surfaces. The observed nonwetting/wetting transition depends on ALD process variables such as the number of ALD coating cycles and deposition temperature. Cotton fabrics coated with ALD aluminum oxide at moderate temperatures were also observed to transition from a natural wetting state to a metastable hydrophobic state and back to wetting depending on the number of ALD cycles. The transitions on cotton appear to be less sensitive to deposition temperature. The results provide insight into the effect of ALD film growth mechanisms on hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers and fibrous structures. The ability to adjust and control surface energy, surface reactivity, and wettability of polymer and natural fiber systems using atomic layer deposition may enable a wide range of new applications for functional fiber-based systems.

Atomic layer deposition and abrupt wetting transitions on nonwoven polypropylene and woven cotton fabrics.

Polypropylene and nylon 66 fabrics are subjected to atmospheric pressure He and He-O2 plasmas for selected exposure time intervals. Scanning electron microscopy anal ysis of the fabrics shows no apparent changes in the plasma-treated nylon fiber surfaces, but significant surface morphological changes for the polypropylene. Surface analyses of the nylon filaments reveal small differences in the surface carbon and oxygen contents between the treated and control groups. The surface oxygen and nitrogen content of the polypropylene fabric increases significantly after treatment in both He and He-O2 plasmas. There is a slight decrease in nylon fabric tensile strength after treatment in He plasma for 3 minutes, while. there is no significant change in tensile strength of the nylon fabric treated with He-O2 after exposure times of up to 8 minutes.

Modifying Nylon and Polypropylene Fabrics with Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas

In this study, both air-oxygen-helium and air-helium atmospheric pressure plasma treatments were employed to desize PVA on a rayon (viscose) fabric. Both the plasma treatments were able to remove s...

The Use of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment in Desizing PVA on Viscose Fabrics

Helium-oxygen plasma treatments were conducted to modify poly(trimethylene terephthalate)(PTT) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) warp knitted fabrics under atmospheric pressure. Lubricant and contamination removals by plasma etching effect were examined by weight loss (%) measurements and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Surface oxidation by plasma treatments was revealed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses, resulting in formation of hydrophilic groups and moisture regain (%) enhancement. Low-stress mechanical properties (evaluated by Kawabata evaluation system) and bulk properties (air permeability and bust strength) were enhanced by plasma treatment. Increasing interfiber and interyarn frictions might play important roles in enhancing surface property changes by plasma etching effect, and then changing low-stress mechanical properties and bulk properties for both fabrics.

Helium/oxygen atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) knitted fabrics: Comparison of low-stress mechanical/surface chemical properties

Atmospheric plasma treatment has the capability to enhance or replace conventional wet finishing processes, including water and stain repellant or flame retardant finishing. Plasma treatment results primarily in surface effects, with little effect seen in bulk properties. Surface modifications may be accomplished through surface ablation, film deposition, or functionalization, or by some combination of these effects. Although there are many documented successes in the treatment of textile materials with low-pressure (vacuum) plasmas, atmospheric systems offer the substantial advantage of the ability to integrate into continuous processing operations. A strong effort is being directed toward understanding of atmospheric plasmas, interaction of such plasmas with textiles, and plasma parameters for treatments of textile materials. Characterization of this interaction, in order to predict and optimize treatment effects, is underway. A new atmospheric plasma device has been assembled. The roller system is under construction. Batch treatments of a variety of textile materials have been performed. Atmospheric plasma treatments have been shown to alter surface wettability of fabrics. Currently, plasma removal of size, non-aqueous flame-retardant finishing, and plasma-induced curing of conventional finishes are under investigation.

Yoon Joong Hwang

Papers

Modifying Nylon and Polypropylene Fabrics with Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas

The Use of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment in Desizing PVA on Viscose Fabrics

Helium/oxygen atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) knitted fabrics: Comparison of low-stress mechanical/surface chemical properties

A Novel Non-Aqueous Fabric Finishing Process