Oxygen plasma pretreatment improves dyeing and antimicrobial properties of wool fabric dyed with natural extract from pomegranate peel

This paper presents the application of conventional potassium aluminium sulphate wool mordanting and a biochemical method with silver nitrate (as antimicrobial agent and mordant)(,) alone and in combination with oxygen plasma, as part of comprehensive research into pretreatment processes for wool dyeing with natural extract from pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.). Pretreatment with oxygen plasma significantly improved the hydrophilicity and tensile strength of all tested samples and showed that oxygen plasma can improve K/S, washing fastness, and even replace certain mordants in wool dyeing with natural pomegranate dye. All dyed samples exhibited good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which can be contributed to the phenol content in pomegranate dye. Only after 28 days of intensive ageing in natural weathering conditions did K/S and antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae slightly decrease in dyed samples pretreated with oxygen plasma.