Low temperature plasma-treated nylon fabrics

Nylon 6 fabrics were treated with low temperature plasma (LTP) with three non-polymerizing gases: (i) oxygen, (ii) argon and (iii) tetrafluoro in ethane, After plasma treatment, the properties of the fabric, including surface morphology, low-stress mechanical properties, air permeability and thermal properties, were investigated. The nylon fabrics treated with different plasma gases exhibited different morphological changes. Low-stress mechanical properties obtained by means of the Kawabata evaluation system fabric (KES-F) revealed that the surface friction, tensile, shearing, bending and compression properties altered after the treatments. The changes in these properties are believed to be related closely to the inter-fiber/inter-yarn frictional force induced by the LTP treatment. A slightly decrease in the air permeability of the treated fabrics was found which is probably due to plasma action effecting on increase in the fabric thickness and a change in the fabric surface morphology. The change in the thermal properties of the treated fabrics was in good agreement with the above findings and can be attributed to the amount of air trapped between the yarns. This experimental work suggests that the changed properties induced by LTP can effect an improvement in certain textile products. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.