Antimicrobial Performance of Plasma Corona Modified Cotton Treated with Silver Nitrate

Cotton fabric was treated by corona plasma discharge at different powers and numbers of passages. The carboxyl group content was determined by Methylene Blue staining and titration. Then, the untreated and treated cotton fabrics were treated with silver nitrate, and laundering test was carried out. The inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis for silver and antibacterial tests were done. The surface bonding and morphology were studied by FTIR/ATR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The plasma corona discharge treatment of cotton fabric increases the content of carboxyl groups. An increase in the power of plasma treatment increases the content of carboxyl groups and adsorption of silver ions. As a result, the antibacterial effect is enhanced and becomes more stable after repeated laundering.