Topographical effects of 0₂- and NH₃-plasma treatment on woven plain polyester fabric in adjusting hydrophilicity

Hydrophilisation of polyester textile materials has been investigated over the last twenty years using low-pressure and atmospheric plasmas. According to these studies, wettability and capillarity of fabrics can be significantly improved depending on the process gas used. In the present study, the effects of low pressure O₂- and NH₃- plasma on the morphology and topometry of fabrics on four different length scales, as well as the influence of the topographical changes of textile structures on the resulting water spreading and absorption rates were investigated. The results of the topographic characterisation using two non-contact optical methods and wettability measurements indicate that the modification of filament nano-topography cannot satisfactorily explain the drastic changes observed in wettability. Dimensional changes (relaxation and shrinkage) as well as changes in warp morphology and inter-yarn spaces are more decisive for inducing hydrophilicity in polyester woven plain fabrics than an increase in the surface nano-roughness of their filaments.