Functionalization of wool fabric with phase-change materials microcapsules after plasma surface modification

The use of microcapsules has increased in several different areas, namely, textile applications. They have been used as a possible means of introducing new properties, namely, in medical care by antibiotics, skin moisturizers, and other drugs and for thermal comfort. In this study, we examined the influence of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment on the adhesion of phase-change material (PCM) microcapsules on wool fabric. Several experimental techniques were used to evaluate the wool surface modification after plasma treatment and the influence of the microcapsules' resistance to washing conditions, namely, the determination of the static and dynamic contact angles, surface energy, and adhesion work; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; differential scanning calorimetry; and scanning electron microscopy. Chemical and physical characterization of the wool fiber in the fabric confirmed significant surface modification. The plasma treatment greatly increased the hydrophilicity, surface energy, and adhesion work of the wool fabric; this proved that more microcapsules were adsorbed on the fabric and more microcapsules remained on the fabric surface after the washing procedures.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Plasma treatment in textile industry

Plasma technology applied to textiles is a dry, environmentally- and worker-friendly method to achieve surface alteration without modifying the bulk properties of different materials. In particular, atmospheric non-thermal plasmas are suited because most textile materials are heat sensitive polymers and applicable in a continuous processes. In the last years plasma technology has become a very active, high growth research field, assuming a great importance among all available material surface modifications in textile industry. The main objective of this review is to provide a critical update on the current state of art relating plasma technologies applied to textile industryFernando Oliveira (SFRH/BD/65254/2009) acknowledges Fundacao para a Cioncia e Tecnologia, Portugal, for its doctoral grant financial support. Andrea Zille (C2011-UMINHO-2C2T-01) acknowledges funding from Programa Compromisso para a Cioncia 2008, Portugal

Pre-Cordilleran transposition signatures in felsic and intermediate composition boudins of the Thor-Odin dome, southeastern Canadian Cordillera

Multiscale structural analysis, applied to the north-western and southern portions of the Thor-Odin dome, reveals that the tectonometamorphic evolution predating the development of the regional fabric (ST) is contrasted. Pre- ST PT-estimates range between amphibolite and granulite facies conditions: these different PTdt evolutions suggest the existence of different tectono-metamorphic units before the development of the Cordilleran transposition foliation

Atomic force microscopy investigation of cold-plasma-treated poly(ethyleneterephthalate) textiles

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied to investigate the morphological and topographical surface modifications induced by radiofrequency cold plasma processing of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) textiles. Surface effects are analysed in low-pressure air plasma for different plasma exposure times. The results show a progressive degradation of the surface with increasing roughness. The analysis suggests that modification of the surface during textile treatment may be ascribed to a plasma-induced physical process

Surface morphology changes of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) fabrics induced by cold plasma treatments

Some selective cold plasma processing modify specific surface properties of textile polymeric materials such as their dyeability , wettability and hydrorepellence. To correlate the sample surface changes with the acquired surface properties allows one to obtain information on the chemical and physical processing involved in plasma treatment. In this work, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been applied to investigate the morphological and topographical surface modifications induced by RF cold plasma processing of poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) fabrics. Rms surface roughness and surface area of the samples are measured before and after the treatments. The morphology changes have been analysed as a function of the treatment time and air gas pressure. Measurements have been performed also using plasmas produced by different gases such as He, Ar, SF6 and CF4. The PET shows different behaviour with different gas plasmas. In the case of air, He and Ar gases the sample surface modifications seem to be mainly due to etching effects, while the fluorine atoms grafting probably is responsible for surface rearrangement processes using SF6 and CF4 gases. As a consequence, different surface properties are produced in the plasma treated samples

Cold Plasma Treatment of PET Fabrics: AFM Surface Morphology Characterisation

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to investigate the morphology changes in the surface of poly((ethyleneterephthalate) (PET) fabrics due to cold plasma treatments. This has resulted in the possibility to measure quantitatively the root-mean-square (rms) surface roughness and the surface area of the samples developed after the treatment. The morphology changes, mainly rms surface roughness and surface area, on the PET fabrics surface due to air cold plasma have been measured as a function of treatment time and as a function of gas pressure. The same quantities as a function of pressure were measured also for He, Ar, SF6 and CF4 gases. The changes in morphology in the cases of air, He and Ar gases seems to be due mainly to etching effects. The situation is different for SF6 and CF4 gases, where reorganisation of the surface, possibly due to fluorine atoms grafting, seems to be effective

Cold plasma-induced modification of the dyeing properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers

Surface modification of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers induced by radiofrequency (RF) plasma treatment has been investigated systematically as a function of plasma device parameters, to identify the plasma-polymer surface interactions prevailing under different operating conditions and leading to an increased color depth upon dyeing. Some tests have also been performed employing chemically inert argon as a feedstock gas. The dyeing properties of plasma-treated fibers were correlated to their topographical characteristics, determined by AFM analysis, and to their chemical surface composition, determined by XPS analysis, while the plasma-originated UV radiation was found to have no relevant effects in PET surface modification. The relative importance of plasma-induced surface processes, such as etching and grafting of polar species, is discussed in relation to their role in modifying PET dyeing properties

Characterization of Plasma Processing of Polymers

Some selective plasma treatments are described, aiming at modifying specific surface properties of textile polymeric materials, such as their hydrorepellence and dyeability. The prevailing plasma-polymer interactions were identified by correlating the physico-chemical modification of treated polymer surfaces to the characteristics of the plasma sources