Iranian researcher Dr. Shila Shahidi and faculty member at the Islamic Azad University of Arak has introduced a new method by which polyester fabrics could be dyed more efficiently through plasma surface activation.

The method is aimed at tackling the problems in traditional dyeing methods, such as weak dyeability, high-temperature, excessive use of water, and discharge of several chemical additives.

The method introduced in this work comprises the formation of functional groups on the surfaces of the polyester fabrics by using atmospheric pressure plasma.

Polyester fabrics were modified by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and then dyed with different classes of natural (henna, madder, lotus, and matricaria) and synthetic (acidic, basic, and disperse) dyes.

The results show that DBD modification on the surface of fabrics improved their dyeability without using water and chemical additives, with the extent of improvement higher in natural dyes than in synthetic ones. The atmospheric pressure plasma also makes the process of dyeing eco-friendly.