Old and new processes of textile treatment in low pressure and atmospheric pressure non equilibrium plasma
Francesco FRACASSI (Università degli Studi di Bari)
Plasma technology is a powerful tool to modify the surface characteristics of conventional material, including textile, and in most cases results in novel non conventional properties. The plasma treatment interests only the uppermost layers of the fabric surface, without modifying the bulk, and it is environmental friendly, since the use of chemicals is negligible. Most published works on this topic deals with the treatments of synthetic and natural polymers in low pressure plasma, to obtain water and oil repellency.
Despite the good results obtained, the cost of equipment and the low throughput, which sometimes characterize these processes, have not allowed their widespread industrial use in the treatment of textiles, so far. Many research activities are in progress to overcome these drawbacks and in this contest, the utilization of non equilibrium plasmas at atmospheric pressure appears very promising. Since the plasma treatment is not performed at low pressure, the expensive vacuum chambers and pumping systems are not necessary. Other important recent improvements of plasma technology, which could find interesting applications in the filed of textile technology, are the novel processes which allow to prepare multifunctional surfaces.
In this presentation, after a short description of the plasma technology at low pressure and at atmospheric pressures, some old and new plasma treatments of textile, also able to produce multifunctional properties, will be presented.
