Atmospheric plasma treatment to improve durability of a water and oil repellent finishing for acrylic fabrics

In this study, the influence of an atmospheric plasma treatment on the durability of a commercial water and oil repellent finish was tested. Acrylic fabrics were processed with a RF atmospheric pressure plasma generator and afterwards a fluorocarbon finish was applied through a traditional pad-dry-cure method. Two gas mixtures were tested (helium and helium/oxygen) with different plasma treatment times. The ageing of the finishing was simulated through repeated accelerated laundry cycles. The water and oil repellencies were measured through standard test methods. While the initial water and oil repellency did not change, the plasma treatment improved the durability of the finish after artificial ageing. Scanning electron microscopy analyses were carried out to highlight morphological changes.