Influence of surface activation by plasma and nanoparticle adsorption on the morphology, thermal stability and combustion behavior of PET fabrics

Plasma surface activation at different process parameters (namely, power and etching time) has been combined with nanoparticle adsorption (i.e., a natural montmorillonite) in order to improve the thermal stability and flame retardancy of PET fabrics. Scanning electron microscopy coupled to elemental analysis has put in evidence a direct relationship between the distribution of nanoparticles on fibers and process parameters. The presence of the above nanoparticles affects the thermal stability of fabrics in air, as assessed by thermogravimetric analysis: a delay of the mass loss process has been observed for the treated samples. Combustion behavior has been investigated by cone calorimetry: plasma activated fabrics have shown a remarkable improvement in terms of time to ignition (up to 104%) and a slight reduction of the heat release rate (ca. 10%) as compared to neat PET.