A novel durable hydrophobic surface coating of poly(lactic acid) fabric by pulsed plasma polymerization

Effective finishing on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fibres could be difficult due to its low melting point. Traditional fluorocarbon application technology (pad, dry, and cure at high temperature) on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and PLA fibres fabrics was compared with a novel plasma polymerization technique which was performed on both fabrics. Liquid repellency properties of both mentioned fabrics, before and after washing were evaluated. Fabric mechanical properties were compared by measuring bursting strength and fabric hand. The results indicate that, in general, the plasma process imparted better fabric handle and overall repellency, particularly with regard to low temperature re-orientation. Furthermore, by adding a proper softener, the inter-fibre friction was reduced and better elastic recovery was achieved. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.