Low Temperature Plasma/Metal Salts Treatments for Improving Some Properties of Polyamide 6 Fibers

Abstract

The effect of plasma treatments with oxygen and argon gases on some properties of polyamide 6 fibers is thoroughly investigated. The treated fabric with oxygen plasma is further treated with some metal salts solutions such as copper sulfate, nickel sulfate, and silver nitrate to study their effect on the antibacterial properties of polyamide fibers. The changes induced in roughness, wettability, and dyeability of polyamide 6 fabric are given. The surface morphology of treated fabric is characterized by using scanning electron microscopy. Density and crystallinity of the treated fabric are also evaluated. The antibacterial activity of treated polyamide 6 fabrics with oxygen plasma/metal salts solutions is improved. The dyeability and fastness properties are also enhanced.

Natural dyeing and antibacterial activity of atmospheric‐plasma‐treated nylon 6 fabric

“…It may result in desirable surface modifications (about 10 nm in depth), including but not limited to surface etching, activation, crosslinking, chain scission, decrystallisation, and oxidation . Atmospheric pressure plasma techniques are gaining popularity owing to the ease of incorporating them in textile finishing operations .…”

“…Plasma‐treated samples showed better water absorption than untreated samples, even after 48 h of storage. This may be due to the formation of hydrophilic chemical groups (–COOH, –OH, –C=O) on the surface of the plasma‐treated samples, as shown by ATR‐FTIR analysis, and the induced changes in fibre morphology, as indicated by the SEM micrographs and reported elsewhere . Previous studies indicated that surface modifications by low‐temperature plasma are not permanent and progressively vary, depending on the storage conditions of the sample.…”

“…Textiles have been widely used in medical and surgical applications. So, they may be treated with antibacterial and fluid‐repellent finishes . The increasing demand for multifunctional fabrics requires strong multidisciplinary approaches as well as the fusion of traditional scientific disciplines .…”

“…Nylon fabrics grafted with chitosan after plasma treatment of the substrate showed good antibacterial activity . Metal salts, including copper sulfate, nickel sulfate, and silver nitrate, induced antibacterial activity to atmospheric‐plasma‐treated nylon fabric . Berberine as a natural dye and antibacterial agent has been used on wool and nylon fabrics and exhibited excellent antibacterial activity .…”

Effect of Low Temperature Plasma Treatment on the Properties of Wool/Polyester Blend

“…A schematic drawing of the experimental arrangement is depicted elsewhere (Raslan et al 2010).Wool/polyester blend fabric was exposed to DBD by using different gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen and air, at different discharge powers (1-3 watts) for different time intervals (1-12 min).…”