Improvement of Textile Antifouling by Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Treatment

To improve antifouling property of textiles, fibrous assemblies, two atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) treatments were attempted. The plain-woven polyester fabrics were treated by the APPJ-coating with hexamethyldisiloxane and/or by the APPJ-oxidation with nitrogen gas. For comparison with the APPJ treatments, chemical treatments with fluorinated resin and polyethylene glycol-based resin were performed. The wettability of the polyester fabric drastically changed after the above surface treatments, especially for the APPJs. Remarkable hydrophobization of polyester fabric was achieved after the APPJ-coating, and subsequent APPJ-oxidation made the fabric super-hydrophilic, due to topographical change as well as chemical change. Using model particulate contaminants, carbon black and red clay, the deposition onto the fabric in air (soil guard property) and their removal from the fabric by beating with the wetted rayon fabric and by washing by a drum-type washer (soil release property) were investigated. The particle deposition onto the polyester fabric was prevented after the APPJ-coating and subsequent APPJ-oxidation. On the other hand, both chemical treatments unexpectedly promoted the deposition independently of the wettability. The detergency after beating with wetted fabric was comparable with that after washing by the washer. For carbon black, the soil release was prevented by hydrophobization and promoted by hydrophilication in both cases of the APPJ and chemical treatments. The soil residue after soil release as a measure of antifouling effect indicated priority of APPJ treatments to chemical treatments.