SBIR Phase I: Surface Modification of Nonwovens Via Plasma Processing

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段的研究项目将开发一种低成本的等离子体处理方法，能够增加静电纺纳米纤维和基材之间的粘合强度，以及改变纳米纤维的功能，以开发各种应用的功能性纺织材料。基材的表面改性将使用基于惰性、含氧和含氮气体混合物的大气压等离子体进行。加工参数和气体混合物的选择将根据经处理的聚合物表面上所需的官能团来进行。不同的处理参数（射频（RF）、RF功率、气体流速、气体成分、电极的分离等）可以在不同的温度下进行。将被改变以与最终材料性质（润湿性、芯吸性、可印刷性、粘附功、表面积等）相关。所开发的材料可根据表面功能用于许多应用，包括抗微生物活性功能化的医用布;疏水性和亲水性改变的服装;能够功能化用于细胞附着的医用植入物和贴片;以及类似的利基应用。该技术的更广泛的影响/商业潜力可能导致可以处理的纺织材料，使得其在相对侧上显示不同的功能（例如，涂覆有疏水纳米纤维的亲水织物，或反之亦然。该技术的成功将导致在不需要投资以改变支持设备（例如，在当前的过滤设备中使用基于硅藻土的过滤器）。等离子体技术的成功使用可以进一步消除我们对具有破坏性环境后果的替代技术（如湿化学）的依赖。该项目的成功将提高纺织材料的质量，推进纤维加工技术，允许在不相容的基材上纺制聚合物纤维网，并刺激新市场的增长。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will develop a low cost plasma treatment methodology capable of increasing adhesive strength between electrospun nanofibers and substrates, as well as change the functionality of nanofibers to develop functional textile material for various applications. The surface modification of substrates will be carried out using atmospheric pressure plasma based on inert, oxygen, and nitrogen containing gas mixtures. The choice of processing parameters and gas mixtures will be made according to the desired functional groups on treated polymer surfaces. The different processing parameters radio frequency (RF), RF power, gas flow rate, gas composition, separation of the electrodes, etc.) will be altered to correlate with the final material properties (wettability, wickability, printability, work of adhesion, surface area, etc.). The developed material can be used for a number of applications depending on the surface functionalities, including medical cloths functionalized for antimicrobial activity; apparel clothing altered for hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity; medical implants and patches capable functionalized for cell attachment; and similar niche applications. The broader impact/commercial potential from this technology could lead to textile materials which can be treated such that it shows different functionalities on opposite sides (e.g., a hydrophilic fabric coated with hydrophobic nanofibers, or vice versa.) The success of the technology will lead to further advancement in application of nanofiber and plasma technology to a wide variety of applications without needing investment to change supporting equipments (e.g., using nanofiber based filters in current filtration equipments). The successful use of plasma technology can further remove our dependence on alternate technologies (like wet chemistry) which has damaging environmental consequences. The success of this project will improve textile material quality, advance nanofiber processing technology, allow spinning polymeric nanofiber webs on incompatible substrates, and spur growth of new markets.