Title
Cold plasma treatment of cotton and viscose fabrics impregnated with essential oils of Lavandula angustifolia and Melaleuca alternifolia
Authors
SONIA SOUSA CARLA GAIOLAS ANA P. COSTA CECILIA BAPTISTA and MARIA E. AMARAL

Received Dedicated to the 50^th anniversary of Cellulose Chemistry and Technology, and its systematic work in the cellulose and lignin industry field
Published Volume 50 Issue 5-6 May-June
Keywords Lavandula angustifolia, Melaleuca alternifolia, cold plasma, textile fabrics, physicochemical properties, antimicrobial activity

Abstract
In this research, the synergetic effect of cold plasma treatment and two essential oils, namely Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) and Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree), on the physicochemical properties of cotton and viscose fabrics were investigated. The chemical changes on the fabric surface caused by the treatments were investigated by contact angle measurements, surface energy calculation and ATR-FTIR analysis. In addition, the content of carboxyl, aldehyde and hydroxyl end groups was assessed. The antimicrobial activity of the untreated and treated fabrics was evaluated. The results showed that grafting with monomers existing in lavender or tea tree oil leads to an increase of the water contact angle and its stability over time. It was observed that the treatments with essential oils increase the carboxyl groups content, except for the viscose treated with lavender oil. It was also demonstrated that the cotton fabric immersed into lavender oil exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus. However, further plasma treatment resulted in the loss of antibacterial properties.