Rendering viscose fabric dye-able with anionic dyes using plasma treatment technique and chitosan nanoparticles as an eco-friendly approach

Purpose This paper aims at studying the oxygen plasma treatment and the previously prepared and fully characterized chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) as a green and eco-friendly strategy for surface modification of viscose fabric. This was done to render viscose fabric dye able with two types of acid dyes that do not have direct affinity to fix on it via improving the fabric wettability. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the goal, viscose fabric was activated with oxygen plasma at optimum conditions and coated with different concentrations of CNPs solution via conventional pad dry cure technique. The untreated and plasma-treated fabrics with CNPs were dyed with two types of acid dyes, namely, Acid Orange 7 and Methyl Red under determined conditions. The color strength (K/S), fastness properties to light, rubbing and perspiration, add on %, tensile strength, wettability and durability of the dyed samples were determined and compared. Findings The results divulged that oxygen plasma-treated fabric with CNPs and the aforementioned dyes in question could improve the flowing properties in comparison with untreated fabric: (a) the fabric wettability expressed as wetting area mm(2); (b) the dye ability and fastness properties of viscose fabrics expressed as K/S and fastness properties; and (c) the strength properties and add on % of the treated fabric. On the other hand, the durability of the plasma-treated fabric decreased with increasing washing cycles. Originality/value The novelty addressed here was using plasma treatment as an eco-friendly pre-treatment approach for attachment of CNPs as a multifunctional green bio-nano polymer onto viscose fabric, which improved the dyeing properties of the fabric with acid dyes that do not have direct affinity to fix onto it.