Effect of environmentally friendly plasma treatment on microfibre fabrics to improve some comfort properties

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate plasma treatment for Tencel microfibre fabrics for possible improvement in various functional properties. Design/methodology/approach The plasma treated and untreated fabrics were dyed using reactive dyes and evaluated for comfort properties such as wicking, water vapour permeability and air permeability. Findings The various comfort properties of plasma treated and an untreated Tencel microfibre fabric have been studied. The wicking results showed a significant reduction in wicking time for plasma treated fabrics compared to untreated fabrics. The test results for water vapour permeability show no significant difference between plasma treated and untreated fabrics. The plasma treated samples show higher air permeability than untreated samples. In the wetting test, it is clearly seen that the plasma treated samples absorbed the water at a faster rate. Originality/value This research investigates plasma treatment for Tencel microfibre fabrics for possible improvement in various functional properties.