Thermal Properties of Wool Fabrics Treated in Atmospheric Pressure Post-Discharge Plasma Equipment

A plain-weave wool fabric has been treated in a rollto-roll atmospheric pressure, post-discharge plasma equipment at three fabric speeds. The thermal properties of the treated fabric have been investigated by means of an Alambeta instrument. The thermal resistance and thermal diffusivity increased after the plasma treatment while the thermal absorptivity and volumetric heat capacity decreased. The longer the plasma-to-fabric exposure time, the more marked the change in the fabric’s thermal properties. Since thermal conductivity was unaffected after the treatment, the thermal properties changed due to the increase in thickness that was observed after the plasma treatment. A validated model has been used to predict the human psychophysical perception of the fabric hand. As a consequence of the more voluminous structure, a softer and warmer hand has been predicted for the treated fabrics compared to the untreated ones.