the use of plasma treatment in textile finishing
Title: The use of plasma treatment in Textile Finishing.
Plasma technology is explored in the field of textile processing as an unconventional process. It is a “dry” technology and is intrinsically ecological and environment friendly. The conventional wet treatments applied in textile processing for fibre surface modification and others are associated with many constraints. These treatments mainly concern with energy, cost and environmental issues. Application of Plasma technology at low temperature in textile processing can prove to be the best alternative for these issues. Various machines and techniques have been developed for generation and application of plasma to the textile materials. The innovative reactions mainly occur on the fibre surface, forming free radicals resulting in surface modification. Plasma technology can be explored in various areas of textile processing e.g. surface modification of fibres, removal of natural/added impurities from the textile material, improvement of wettability of textiles and imparting functional finishing which have been reviewed considerably in this communication.
Plasma is the 4th state of matter and a gas becomes plasma when the kinetic energy of the gas particles rises to equal the ionisation energy of the gas. When this level is reached, collisions of the gas particles cause a rapid cascading ionisation, resulting in plasma (figure-2).When the neutral molecules of a gas are energized, e.g. by exposing to high electric field, to a point when some electrons become free and the gas turns into a mixture of electrons, ionised atoms and molecules, photons and residual neutral species. In this state it behaves as a chemically very active environment and there is a high likelihood of surface interaction with organic substrates. It is also possible to genetate plasma at room temperature. Plasma is generated when an electrical current is applied across a dielectric gas or fluid (an electrically non-conducting material) as
Plasma technology is explored in the field of textile processing as an unconventional process. It is a “dry” technology and is intrinsically ecological and environment friendly. The conventional wet treatments applied in textile processing for fibre surface modification and others are associated with many constraints. These treatments mainly concern with energy, cost and environmental issues. Application of Plasma technology at low temperature in textile processing can prove to be the best alternative for these issues. Various machines and techniques have been developed for generation and application of plasma to the textile materials. The innovative reactions mainly occur on the fibre surface, forming free radicals resulting in surface modification. Plasma technology can be explored in various areas of textile processing e.g. surface modification of fibres, removal of natural/added impurities from the textile material, improvement of wettability of textiles and imparting functional finishing which have been reviewed considerably in this communication.
Plasma is the 4th state of matter and a gas becomes plasma when the kinetic energy of the gas particles rises to equal the ionisation energy of the gas. When this level is reached, collisions of the gas particles cause a rapid cascading ionisation, resulting in plasma (figure-2).When the neutral molecules of a gas are energized, e.g. by exposing to high electric field, to a point when some electrons become free and the gas turns into a mixture of electrons, ionised atoms and molecules, photons and residual neutral species. In this state it behaves as a chemically very active environment and there is a high likelihood of surface interaction with organic substrates. It is also possible to genetate plasma at room temperature. Plasma is generated when an electrical current is applied across a dielectric gas or fluid (an electrically non-conducting material) as
References: 1. Plasma surface functionalization of textiles, Richard Moore, Institute of Nanotechnology, www.nano.org.uk 2. Plasma treatment advantages for textiles, Amelia Sparavigna, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Torino, Italy 3. Textile Modification with Plasma Treatment, C.W. Kan* and C.W.M.Yuen,Institute of Textiles and Clothing 4. Multifunctional Textiles – Modification by Plasma,Dyeing and Nanoparticles