Multifunctional coatings on fabrics by application of a low-pressure plasma process

Abstract

Nowadays, there is an increased demand to produce highly-performant fabrics combining multiple properties such as flame retardancy, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, antibacterial, UV resistance, etc. In order to produce a wash-resistant-flame-retardant-water-repellent-dyed multifunctional coating on natural fabrics like cotton and silk, various protocols involving the Ar plasma-induced graft-polymerization (PIGP) process of suitable monomers were investigated. The burning behaviour of treated fabrics is discussed using LOI measurements. The water repellent behaviour is evaluated by means of Schmerber pressures (PSch.) and dyeing properties by spectrophotometric measurements. The wash-resistance of the coatings was tested by using an accelerated laundry method. The obtained results have shown that for each protocol, the flame retardant monomer is compatible with a water repellent or a dyeing treatment.