The Digital Ink-Jet Printing Properties of Cashmere Treated by Low-Temperature Plasma

Microwave low temperature plasma (LTP) which is a physical processing method is used to modify the physical and chemical properties of cashmere fiber, thus improve digital printability. The paper mainly studies the effects of low temperature plasmas modification on the scale structure, the change of chemical component, hydrophilicity, printing properties of cashmere. The results show that low temperature plasmas treatment can make cashmere fiber scale edge blunted but keep in the integrity of scale structure. Hydrophilicity of cashmere fiber is improved as lipid substances exposed to the surface of fiber are damaged and yielding hydrophilic groups. In digital printing process, the k/s values of cashmere pretreated by low temperature plasma are higher than untreated ones because of the micro-etching of low temperature plasmas and yielding hydrophilic groups on cashmere surface. Cashmere fiber modified by low temperature plasmas can be steamed at 90 degrees C for 0.5h. The application research of low temperature plasmas to cashmere fiber modification can improve the quality of cashmere products and reduce water and energy consumption.