Imparting antimicrobial properties to polypropylene non-woven material using plasma fluorination
摘要
The effect of low-temperature plasma generated in a fluorine-containing gas on the composition and properties of polypropylene films and non-woven materials was investigated. It was determined that fluorine-containing plasma treatment leads to a considerable increase in the hydrophobicity of polypropylene materials. It was shown that this effect is related to the fluorination of their surface, which results in the formation of CFn groups (n = 1–3) and the increase in the roughness of both the film and the fibers that form the non-woven material. It was found that fluorinated polypropylene materials acquire antimicrobial properties. A relation between the intensity of suppression of the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms by the polypropylene material and the roughness of the film fluorinated using low-temperature plasma was revealed. It was shown that treatment in a fluorine-containing low-temperature plasma does not lead to the appearance of visually detectable cross-links of the fibers that form the non-woven material.