Surface and bulk cotton fibre modifications: plasma and cationization. Influence on dyeing with reactive dye

The surface of cotton fabrics was functionalized through corona plasma treatments and/or by cationising the whole of the fibre with an epihalohydrin. The effects of both treatments, individually and in combination are analyzed through wettability studies, by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and also by dyeing studies with an hetero bis functional reactive dye. Plasma improved wetting properties, exhaustion of the dyebaths and K/S_corr of the fabrics through surface functionalisation. Cationising of the cotton highly increased the exhaustion of the dyebaths and produced a dramatic improvement in K/S_corr. Plasma treatment previous to cationising increased the impregnation of the fabrics, but the effects of both treatments on dyeing parameters are additive only in column water rise and generally the effects obtained by cationising with the epihalohydrin prevail. The differences between both treatments are discussed in terms of surface functionalisation of the cotton fibres.