Application of plasma technology for the modification of polymer and textile materials

Abstract

Plasma treatment is based on the physico-chemical changes of the material surface and as an ecologically and economically acceptable process it can be an attractive alternative to conventional modifications. The possibilities of plasma technology application to the modification of polymer and textile materials are discussed. Different specific properties of the material can be achieved by plasma cleaning, etching, functionalization or polymerization. The final effects are strongly influenced by the treatment parameters (treatment time, pressure, power, gas flow), the applied gas and nature of the material. The plasma treatment of polymers is predominantly focused on cleaning and activation of the surfaces to increase adhesion, binding, wettability, dye ability and printability. Current studies deal more with plasma polymerization where an ultra thin film of plasma polymer is deposited on the material surface and, depending on the applied monomer, different specific properties can be obtained (i.e. chemical and thermal resistance, abrasion resistance, antireflexion, water repellence, etc.). Plasma application to textiles is mostly oriented toward wool and synthetic fibres, though some studies also consider cotton, hemp, flax and silk. The main goal of plasma treatment is to impart a more hydrophilic fibre surface and accordingly increase wettability, dye ability, printability and particularly, shrink resistance in the case of wool. Recent studies have favored technical textiles, where plasma polymerization can offer a wide range of opportunities.

Obrada plazmom polimernih i tekstilnih materijala se zasniva na fizičko-hemijskim promenama površine ovih materijala i zbog odgovarajuće ekološke i ekonomske prihvatljivosti nameće se kao atraktivna alternativa konvencionalnim postupcima modifikovanja. Nagrizanjem, čišćenjem, funkcionalizacijom i polimerizacijom plazmom mogu se dobiti specifična svojstva materijala. U ovom radu su diskutovane potencijalne mogućnosti primene tehnologija baziranih na neravnotežnim plazmama u modifikovanju polimernih i tekstilnih materijala.