A Study on Silk Surface Modification with Carbon Tetrafluoride Low Temperature Plasma

Silk surface modification is carried out with carbon tetrafluoride low temperature (CF₄ LT) plasma. The water contact angle of the CF₄ plasma treated silk fabric reaches 140°. The morphological construction of the treated surfaces is examined by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and surface chemical changes are characterized by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The results reveal that F-contained groups (C-F) have been grafted on the surface of silk fabric. Through the thermal gravity analyzer (TGA), it is shown that the heat stability of the modified silk is improved.