Dilek Kut

Improving the Antibacterial Property of Polyethylene Terephthalate by Cold Plasma Treatment

Many studies suggest strong hydrophilicity of plasma treated polyester surfaces. However, no studies have been reported on the influence of plasma on the antibacterial activity of polyethylene terephthalate. First samples were padded with triclosan as antibacterial agent with different concentrations. Second samples were treated by oxygen plasma with different operating frequency and treating time, respectively. Afterwards, plasma treated samples were padded with triclosan in same conditions. The results revealed that the antibacterial activity slighlty increased after treating with triclosan. SEM images and FTIR spectra showed that horizontal channels were brought about on the fiber surface and then better surface roughness and wettability were obtained by plasma. Fibers were fully coated with triclosan after plasma and the antibacterial activity increased with increasing operating frequency and reaction time. Finally, the samples treated with triclosan after plasma gave acceptable results and showed the best antibacterial activity for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Application of low-frequency oxygen plasma treatment to polyester fabric to reduce the amount of flame retardant agent

To reduce the quantity of chemicals required to produce flame retardant polyester fabrics, a low-frequency oxygen plasma treatment at low temperature (<50 °C) was carried out before padding the polyester fabrics with alkyl-phosphonate-structured flame retardant agents. The concentration of the flame retardant agent was varied to determine the plasma treatment effect on the amount of chemicals used in the finishing process. All padded fabrics which had pre-plasma treatment or not, were also washed five times to determine the washing resistance. The surfaces of the polyester fabrics were characterized by FT-IR (ATR) and SEM. The flame retardant performances of the polyester fabrics were evaluated by the LOI test. Hydrophilic characteristics of the polyester fabrics were also tested after the plasma treatment. According to the results, the hydrophilic properties of the polyester fabrics improved after oxygen plasma treatment. Moreover, the plasma treatment allowed the reduction of the flame retardant concentration to 50 g/L in the padding system, however, it was out of the optimal concentration range; the chemical amount consumed was half of the maximum concentration without the LOI changing significantly.

Performing the Electrospraying Process for the Application of Textile Nano Finishing Particles

We have performed the electrospraying process via a conventional configuration for the application of nanoparticles, used for water and oil repellency of textile fabrics, onto the surface of the textile to avoid undesirable agglomeration of those particles. This approach shows by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images that such an application (electrospraying) would avoid agglomeration by using the electrostatic forces produced and gave acceptable oil repellency, which also points to commercial market interest.

Investigation of pumice stone powder coating of multilayer surfaces in relation to acoustic and thermal insulation

In this study, production of multilayer surfaces for acoustic and thermal insulation was investigated. After the optimum textile materials had been chosen to provide acoustic and thermal insulation, surfaces were created using different relative methods in this field. Sublayer nonwoven produced from slotted polyester fiber was combined with two different top layers of fabrics, one of which was the top layer of fabric woven from plain weave obtained from texture yarns, which, in turn, was produced from hollow polypropylene, and the other was plain weave obtained from texture weft yarn, which was produced from conventional polypropylene fibers separately. Subsequently, these two different surfaces were combined with polyurethane-based material. Pumice stone powder in three different concentrations and two different sizes was added to enhance acoustic and thermal insulation, after which the sublayer had been coated with an adhesive material to produce multilayer adhesive force and adherence to the wall. Consequently, air permeability, sound absorption, and thermal conductivity coefficients of multilayer surfaces were researched with regard to the type of top layer of fabrics, concentration, and particle size of pumice stone powder. The results demonstrate that the properties of multilayer surfaces concerning acoustic and thermal insulation increase with the increasing concentration of pumice stone powder and with the decreasing sizes of pumice stone particles. In addition, air permeability of multilayer surfaces was ensued to decrease with the increasing concentration as well as particle size of pumice stone powder.

Investigation of the bee-repellent properties of cotton fabrics treated with microencapsulated essential oils

In this study, to produce single-use bee-repellent fabrics, a variety of essential oils were encapsulated with gum arabic wall material at a 1:5 ratio of wall to the core substance. The following core substances were used: lavender oil, laurel oil, fennel oil, N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), lavender + laurel oil, lavender + fennel oil, laurel + fennel oil, lavender + fennel + laurel oil, lavender oil + DEET, fennel oil + DEET and laurel oil + DEET. Lavender, fennel and laurel oils were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. In this context, 11 different microcapsules were produced. After the microencapsulation process, the microcapsules were analyzed with a light microscope and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, an image processing application was developed and implemented to determine the particle size distribution of the microcapsules. After the analysis of the microcapsules, cotton fabric samples were treated with the microcapsules. In order to analyze the microcapsules on the fabric samples, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used. To analyze the bee-repellent abilities of the fabric samples, 12 different measurement cabinets made of pine tree and glass were produced. According to the results, lavender and fennel oils can be used as bee-repellent alternatives to DEET in beekeeping.

Investigation of the Effect of Different Plasma Treatment Condition on theProperties of Wool Fabrics

In this study, oxygen and nitrogen plasma treatment was carried out on wool fabrics during 5, 10 and 15 minutes at low (LF) (40 kHz) and radio (RF) (13.59 MHz) frequency. Then the effect of plasma treatment on tear strength, contact angle, whiteness and yellowness index of wool fabrics was investigated. In addition, the hydrophility of plasma treated samples was analyzed after the washing. The physical and chemical properties of wool fabrics treated with oxygen and nitrogen plasma were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). According to the results, nitrogen plasma treatment improved the tear strength of samples. Furthermore, plasma treatment increased the yellowness of samples while decreasing the whiteness index of samples. The hydrophility of samples decreases with plasma treatment and with the increase in plasma treatment time. Moreover, SEM results showed that the plasma treatment caused to occur deformations on the surfaces. Lastly, EDX results showed that the amount of oxygen and nitrogen increased in the surfaces after oxygen and nitrogen plasma treatment.