Can plasma cleaning technology remove residual oxides and organic pollutants on the surface of fibers?

As is well known, there are many factors that generally affect the effectiveness of plasma cleaning, among which the most important are power frequency, working pressure, type of working gas, and cleaning time. Under normal circumstances, the effect of plasma cleaning will improve with the increase of power. The selection of working pressure should be reasonably based on the substrate to be cleaned. When physical action is dominant, the pressure should be reduced to increase ion energy, and when chemical action is dominant, the pressure should be increased to ensure the concentration of reaction gas. The cleaning time should also ensure the cleaning effect while reducing energy consumption.

In addition, the design of electrodes also has a significant impact on the plasma cleaning effect, mainly including factors such as electrode material, layout, and size. For the internal electrode plasma cleaning system, due to the exposure of the electrodes to the plasma, some materials' electrodes may be etched or sputtered by the plasma, causing unnecessary pollution and resulting in changes in electrode size, which in turn affects the stability of the plasma cleaning system. 

Today, please follow the editor to explore in depth what problems are generally encountered in the field of textile fibers, and what changes will occur with the help of plasma cleaning technology?

Plasma cleaning machines can activate and modify the surface of fibers through unique cleaning and etching processes, introducing active groups such as hydroxyl (- OH) and carboxyl (- COOH), thereby increasing the surface energy of fibers, enhancing their compatibility with biomaterials, and improving their functionality, such as antibacterial and anti-static properties.

Problem 1: Traditional dyeing methods are ineffective for some hydrophobic textile materials and may cause environmental pollution. 

With the help of plasma cleaning equipment, surface modification treatment can be carried out on textiles before dyeing, such as introducing polar groups on the surface of hydrophobic fibers such as polyester, increasing the hydrophilicity of the material, making the dye more easily adsorbed uniformly, thereby improving the consistency and fixation effect of dyeing, enhancing dyeing quality, and reducing the use of water and chemicals in the dyeing process.

Problem 2: The pattern on the surface of textile fibers is not easy to fix and is not easy to be glued, so it needs to be treated with low-temperature plasma cleaning technology, which will not cause damage to the textile fiber coating. After plasma cleaning treatment, it is convenient for subsequent processing such as printing. Plasma can make the fiber surface have good adhesion. The plasma cleaning machine increases surface energy by etching and activating the fiber surface, allowing the coating or printing material to adhere more firmly to the fiber surface, enhancing the durability and aesthetics of the product. For example, during digital printing pretreatment, it can make the printed pattern clearer and more durable.

Question 3: How to make the fiber surface more hydrophilic and anti-static? Plasma cleaning equipment can introduce hydrophilic or anti-static groups on the fiber surface according to different application scenarios of textiles, improve the hydrophilicity of fibers, improve moisture absorption, reduce electrostatic accumulation, enhance product comfort and usage effect, make wearing more comfortable, and also reduce dust adsorption caused by static electricity.

Question 4: How to make the polymer surface more antibacterial and anti fouling? By using plasma cleaning treatment, antibacterial functional groups can be generated on the fiber surface or anti fouling coating modification can be carried out to endow the fabric with long-lasting antibacterial and anti fouling properties, making it easier to keep the textile clean, improving hygiene, and extending its service life. It is particularly suitable for some textiles with high hygiene requirements, such as medical textiles, home textiles, etc.

Question 5: Plasma cleaning technology can effectively remove organic pollutants, treatment agents, and dust and other impurities from the surface of textile fibers during transportation and storage, making the fiber surface cleaner, improving the quality and appearance of fibers, and providing a better foundation for subsequent processing.

Question 6: Can plasma cleaning machines enhance the adhesion of composite material surfaces? When preparing composite materials with high-performance continuous fibers such as carbon fiber and aramid fiber reinforced resin matrix, plasma cleaning machines can remove organic coatings and pollutants on the fiber surface, introduce polar or active groups, form active centers, promote physical anchoring and chemical bonding between fibers and resin matrix, enhance their interaction, and thus improve the overall performance of composite materials.

In summary, there are several common problems encountered on the surface of fiber polymers, and the application characteristics of plasma cleaning machines on fiber polymer surfaces.