Modification of cotton fabrics in inductively coupled plasma

Textile materials are widely used in various fields of industry and life. Modification of the properties of textiles can lead to an expansion of the possibilities of using a particular material. In this work, the cotton fabric was modified in inductively coupled plasma in an octafluorocyclobutane gas C 4 F 8 environment. It turned out that such treatment leads to hydrophobization of the cotton fabric surface through the formation of a Teflon-like film. The composition of the film was determined using FTIR and XPS analyses. Processing at powers from 750 to 1250 W for 10 min results in discoloration and destruction of the material, which is observed visually. SEM images are shown local etching of the fibers. A shorter treatment from 0.5 to 3 min at a power of 1250 W does not lead to such consequences. The dependences of hygroscopic properties such as water absorption, capillary absorption, moisture content and contact angle on RF power applied to the gas discharge and process time are determined. The maximum obtained the contact angle is 120°–123°. The thicknesses of the resulting films range from 45 to 1032 nm. Water absorption, capillary absorption and moisture content of the cotton fabric after processing reach their minimum values and practically do not change.