Low and atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of natural textile fibers

In this contribution we report on plasma modification of natural textile fibres, like raw wool and wool yarn and cotton wool and cotton yarn. Radiofrequency plasmas (13.56 MHz) generated in parallel plate configuration at low pressure and in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) configuration at atmospheric pressure have been used. At low pressure the samples were treated at different times (1-30 min) at 20 W in argon-oxygen plasma. At atmospheric pressure the samples were treated in the expanding argon plasma flow generated in DBD at 60 W, also for different times. The effects of treatment on the materials were investigated by gravimetric measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.