Other features:

- password protection

- batch and operator identification

- parameter control

- process automation

- data-logging

- process diagnostics

- traceability

- flexibility

Future

At this moment, EUROPLASMA is thinking out the concept of continue machines for treatment of fibres and webs. The roll material, which is then mounted in atmospheric environment is guided through the system (under vacuum) and coming again in atmospheric environment. This must allow the customer to automise and speed up the plasma treatment. Nevertheless first the batch based systems will conquest the market.

Some R&D results

In close collaboration with Centexbel, the textile research Institute in Belgium, a regional research project has lead to some interesting results regarding the treatment of wool, cotton and polypropylene.

Results are off-course depending on treatment conditions: plasma generator, plasma frequency, plasma chamber, primary or secondary plasma, vacuum, plasma gas composition, treatment time, plasma power, and also on differences in material and material presentation form. Therefore it is sometimes difficult to compare results or it is dangerous to generalise too much in describing the obtained effects. During the above mentioned project the efforts were focused upon oxidative plasma conditions using in most cases oxygen as plasma gas, or in a few cases gases with a partial concentration of oxygen.

Without going into detail the effects of oxidative plasma treatment are summarised for the most important textile materials.

Treatment of wool

Plasma treatment of wool has already been examined by several research institutes.

In general similar results are reported although the intensity of the obtained effect might differ from case to case.

For our trials a knitted wool fabric, without special pre treatment was used.

Plasma treatment was performed in a plasma chamber of 1 m³, using a secondary plasma generated with a 40 kHz plasma generator with a plasma power between 2000 and 3500 watt. Treatment times were varied between 1 and 7 minutes. The most important effects observed during our evaluations are:

• improvement in wettability with a factor 100 to 1000. The original fabric is very hydrophobic, after treatment a water drop is taken up within one to two seconds,
• no significant change in mechanical properties of individual fibres,
• important change in mechanical properties of the yarns
• increase in yarn tenacity with up to 50%
• increase in yarn elongation at break up to 250 % (depending of the original value before plasma treatment)
• improved anti-felting character and shrink resistance during laundering.

The original surface shrinkage of 57 % (according TM 31) can be reduced below 10% after plasma treatment, offering "super-wash" quality to the treated fabric.