The surface treatment of fabrics in an atmospheric environment may pave the way for commercially viable plasma modifications of fibrous matters. In this paper, we demonstrate a durably superhydrophobic cotton cellulose fabric prepared in a single-step graft polymerization of hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) by N₂ and O₂ atmospheric pressure plasma. We systematically investigated effects on contact angle (CA) and surface morphology of the cotton fabric under three operational parameters: precursor value; ionization gas flow rate; and plasma cycle time. Surface morphology, element composition, chemical structure and hydrophobic properties of the treated fabric were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), EDS, FTIR and CA on the fabrics. The results indicated that a layer of thin film and nano-particles were evenly deposited on the cotton fibers, and graft polymerization occurred between cellulose and HMDSO. The fabric treated by O₂ plasma exhibited a higher CA of 162° than that treated by N₂ plasma which was about 149°. Furthermore, the CA of treated fabrics decreased only 0°~10° after storing at the ambient conditions for four months, and treated fabrics could also endure the standard textile laundering procedure in AATCC 61-2006 with minimum change. Therefore, this single-step plasma treatment method is shown to be a novel and environment-friendly way to make durable and superhydrophobic cotton fabrics.

A practical method for preparing multifunctional polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics with excellent stability and durability was explored. First, the PP nonwoven fabric was sputtered by a magnetron sputtering system to form an Ag film on the surface of the fabric. Subsequently, the coated fabric was treated with dopamine. The fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), electrical conductivity, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), antibacterial activity, stability, and laundering durability. The results of the study revealed that the fabric was coated with Ag, and after the treatment with dopamine, the surfaces of Ag-coated fibers were coated with polydopamine (PDA). The fabrics still had a sheet resistance below ~15 Ω/sq and exhibited excellent EMI SE above ~25 dB, though few differences existed from the single Ag-coated sample. After the treatment with dopamine, the antibacterial activity of the fabric was enhanced. Meanwhile, the treated samples exhibited excellent resistance against sodium sulfide corrosion, which could enhance the stability of the Ag-coated fabric. Moreover, the laundering durability of the treated fabric was improved in the same process, whose lowest sheet resistance was ~18 Ω/sq and the EMI SE was ~8 dB more than single Ag-coated PP nonwoven fabrics. In conclusion, this method was considered to be effective in fabricating multifunctional, stable, and durable fabrics.