Plasma treatment is a surface modification process for textiles that imparts various functional properties at a lower cost, with fewer chemical adverse effects, and with a reduced environmental impact all while maintaining important textile properties.
[1] After solid, liquid, and gas, plasma is referred to as the fourth state of matter.
When a cold plasma interacts with a material contained within it (substrate), a variety of events occur, individually or in combination.
Four major types of effects are: Cross-linking, etching, functionalization, and the formation of a deposit on the substrate's surface.
In comparison to conventional finishing procedures, plasmas have the significant advantage of lower chemical, water, and energy use.