4. Conclusions
In this study, the Box–Behnken design constructed to optimize microwave Ar plasma treatment of cotton fabric recommended quadratic model for the input parameters and its response. It was found that the sample treated with minimum gas pressure for maximum exposure time showed hydrophilic nature, whereas the sample treated with maximum gas pressure for minimum power percentage showed hydrophobic nature. From the ATR-FTIR analysis is was found that there were no additional peaks pertaining to new functional groups. It was also found that a sizeable change in the intensities ofthe IRspectra, and the shiftinthe IR wavenumbers which lead to a strain in the inter, intra molecular and intersheet hydrogen bond and glycosidic linkage of the cellulose chain. XRD study indicated that there was a decrease and increase in the crystallinity of the sample showing hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior respectively compared to the control sample. In agreement with the increased hydrophilic and reduced hydrophilic nature, the FESEM images show the etching and smoothing of the cellulose fiber compared to the control sample. Hence it can be concluded that using a single plasma treatment dual property can be imparted to cotton fabric just by varying the process parameters.
