532
M. Singh et al.
properties like wetting, adhesion, dye absorption and dye fastness, antistatic property, desizing, water or oil repellency, biocompatibility, anti-felting and shrinkage,
UV resistance and so forth (Rezaei 2016). Atmospheric pressure plasma technology
is a cheap, clean and dry technology which uses less energy and generates no toxic
waste; thus, it is widely favoured and accepted for fabric processing.
Nanotechnology is another revolutionary technique which is interdisciplinary and
finds critical applications in all fields of science like chemistry, physics and material
science. Large varieties of metals have been used to synthesise nanoparticles like
gold, silver, palladium, platinum, zinc, titanium and copper. Nanoparticle application
on textile materials could lead to drastic changes in the surface properties of the
fabric. The silver nanoparticle has been used for imparting antimicrobial finish to
fabrics. Zinc oxide nanoparticles provide UV blocking feature to fabrics, whereas
nano-titania is used for imparting hydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties. Nanobased chemical finishes are also being used at the manufacturing level to enhance
bonding of chemicals to fabric surface which incorporates functionalities like wrinkle
resistance, hydrophilicity and stain resistance in fabrics (Nema and Jhala 2015).
2 Non-thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma
2.1 Plasma
The fourth state of matter, popularly known as plasma, consists of a large number of
different species such as electrons, positive and negative ions, free radicals, gas atoms
and molecules in the ground or any higher state (Nehra 2008). Classically, plasma
can be considered as quasineutral species made of an equal number of positive and
negative ions but due to long-ranged Coulomb’s forces of attraction, the individual
behaviour of particles is lost and the entire plasma act in a collective way. Approximately, 99% matter of the universe is made of plasma. The temperature of the natural
plasma is very high, ranging from several tens to hundred thousand kelvins (Nema
and Jhala 2015).
2.2 Classification of Plasma
Typically, plasma can be classified as thermal (hot) and non-thermal (cold) plasma
based on temperature. In thermal plasma, all the species composing plasma are in
thermal equilibrium with a temperature of the order of thousands of kelvin. Thermal
plasma exists in solar corona, lightening, and hence cannot be used for treating
any material. The non-thermal plasma, on the other hand, is maintained at room
temperature; although, here, the smaller sized electrons are at a higher temperature,
the other larger reactive species remain at room temperature. Thus, cold plasma
M. Singh et al.
properties like wetting, adhesion, dye absorption and dye fastness, antistatic property, desizing, water or oil repellency, biocompatibility, anti-felting and shrinkage,
UV resistance and so forth (Rezaei 2016). Atmospheric pressure plasma technology
is a cheap, clean and dry technology which uses less energy and generates no toxic
waste; thus, it is widely favoured and accepted for fabric processing.
Nanotechnology is another revolutionary technique which is interdisciplinary and
finds critical applications in all fields of science like chemistry, physics and material
science. Large varieties of metals have been used to synthesise nanoparticles like
gold, silver, palladium, platinum, zinc, titanium and copper. Nanoparticle application
on textile materials could lead to drastic changes in the surface properties of the
fabric. The silver nanoparticle has been used for imparting antimicrobial finish to
fabrics. Zinc oxide nanoparticles provide UV blocking feature to fabrics, whereas
nano-titania is used for imparting hydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties. Nanobased chemical finishes are also being used at the manufacturing level to enhance
bonding of chemicals to fabric surface which incorporates functionalities like wrinkle
resistance, hydrophilicity and stain resistance in fabrics (Nema and Jhala 2015).
2 Non-thermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma
2.1 Plasma
The fourth state of matter, popularly known as plasma, consists of a large number of
different species such as electrons, positive and negative ions, free radicals, gas atoms
and molecules in the ground or any higher state (Nehra 2008). Classically, plasma
can be considered as quasineutral species made of an equal number of positive and
negative ions but due to long-ranged Coulomb’s forces of attraction, the individual
behaviour of particles is lost and the entire plasma act in a collective way. Approximately, 99% matter of the universe is made of plasma. The temperature of the natural
plasma is very high, ranging from several tens to hundred thousand kelvins (Nema
and Jhala 2015).
2.2 Classification of Plasma
Typically, plasma can be classified as thermal (hot) and non-thermal (cold) plasma
based on temperature. In thermal plasma, all the species composing plasma are in
thermal equilibrium with a temperature of the order of thousands of kelvin. Thermal
plasma exists in solar corona, lightening, and hence cannot be used for treating
any material. The non-thermal plasma, on the other hand, is maintained at room
temperature; although, here, the smaller sized electrons are at a higher temperature,
the other larger reactive species remain at room temperature. Thus, cold plasma