**4. Conclusions**

252 Atomic Force Microscopy – Imaging, Measuring and Manipulating Surfaces at the Atomic Scale

Fig. 15. Tapping mode topographic image of (a) a PET plasma-treated sample at 60 kJ/m2, (b) followed by immersion in hot water at 90°C during 30 minutes, (c) after having been

Immobilisation of PEG on both untreated –cleaned PET and plasma treated PET lead to a hydrophilic fabric surface with similar water contact angle (~50°) in both cases. However, wash fastness test carried out at room temperature on PEG coated PET fabrics shows that without plasma treatment there is an increase in water contact angle of the PET fabric with an increase in washing cycles: the hydrophilic PEG molecules adsorbed at the PET surface are gradually desorbed with the washing time. This would mean that only weak cohesive

However, a plasma treatment of the PET fabric prior to PEG adsorption improves adhesion between PEG and PET-polyester fabric, since the water contact angle value of the PEG coated fabric remains unchanged with washing time at R.T.P and at 80°C. Therefore, the

forces exist between the cleaned untreated PET surface and the PEG molecules.

subjected to a 20 day-ageing without light and (d) ageing with light

AFM seems an invaluable tool to detect all surface morphological modifications taking place during plasma treatment of a PET fabric surface. It confirms that plasma treatment not only adds polarity to the PET surface, but also, depending on the treatment power used, etching of the PET surface by plasma or a reorganisation of the PET surface takes place. AFM also shows the changes that takes place after ageing in presence or in absence of light, and when the plasma treated fabric is subjected to high temperature aqueous conditions. It confirms that the loss of polarity during ageing is also accompanied by morphological changes. AFM

Atomic Force Microscopy – For Investigating Surface Treatment of Textile Fibers 255

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**7. References (Part II)** 

imaging can also be used to obtain the fiber surface topography after the fabric has been padded with a hydrophilic PEG coating and shows the distribution of the coating at the PET fiber surface.

AFM imaging seems to be complementary to the other surface characterisation tools (wettability, XPS) and can be successfully used to characterise textile fiber surface modifications by plasma treatment
