Low-temperature plasma surface modification of textiles made from natural fibers and advanced technologies

Processes that occur in natural fibers during glow-discharge plasma treatment are considered. A study of the plasma etching kinetics, capillarity changes, the fiber surface (using electron microscopy and attenuated total multiple internal reflection IR spectroscopy), and the principal mechanical and other properties demonstrated that modification and degradation affect the fiber surface layers. It is evident that the surface membranes of flax and wool fiber cells are damaged. Important reaction pathways are processes involving the transformations of free radicals. Plasma treatment of gray linen fabric leads to degradation and modification of impurities, thereby opening an opportunity for accelerating the laborious bleaching process and making it environmentally more benign. The enhancement of the sorption-diffusion properties by plasma treatment makes it possible to intensify the dyeing and printing processes.