Development of functional sportswear for controlling moisture and odor prepared by atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma graft polymerization induced by RF glow discharge

When atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma (APNTP) is first applied followed by graft polymerization of hydrophilic monomers on the surface of cloth, the cross-section of the cloth acquires functionally graded hydrophilicity and controls moisture and offensive odor simultaneously. The objective of this study is to develop a functional and comfortable sportswear surface, which is treated with this APNTP process. The apparatus of glow discharge graft polymerization for the treatment of textiles was improved to directly treat commercial sportswear the surface of which is naturally hydrophobic. In this apparatus, acrylic acid can be polymerized on the surface by the APNTP. A high performance in controlling moisture and odor was observed in the one-side treated cloth and sportswear. It was possible to expel human sweat to the outside environment effectively by using functional sportswear that is hydrophilic on the outer side and hydrophobic on the inner side. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.