Atmospheric Plasma Surface Treatment of Polyester Nonwoven Lightweight Fabrics for Apparel, Advertising and Shopping Bags

Atmospheric-pressure plasma surface treatment of textile apparel materials is a popular technique for enhancing their quality, functionality, and aesthetic appearance, depending on their intended applications. The essential advantage of this plasma surface treatment is that it is a dry method that does not require water or organic solvents. This article presents research on four kind of non-woven thermally-bonded PET fabrics with different area densities - 20, 40, 45, and 55 g/m2, and various purposes - clothing, advertising bags, and market bags. The test samples underwent air dielectric barrier discharge treatment at low air gap, atmospheric pressure and industrial frequency, at effective voltage values selected as a result of screening studies - 6, 8, and 10 kVrms, and various fixed treatment durations of 1, 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Standardized methodologies were used to evaluate the changes in parameters after plasma treatment - mass change, tearing strength, and moisture absorption.