Modification of Cotton by Fluorination Treatment

Cotton was treated with 1% and 2% fluorine in a nitrogen atmosphere and each sample processed at a rate 10m/minute. Although no gross topographical changes of cotton surface were visible under Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM), fluorination increased cotton’s hydrophilicity by reducing the wetting time of 20 seconds for untreated to less than 10 seconds for fluorinated cotton. Effect fluorination on mechanical properties, and whiteness index were also investigated. Fluorination treatment increased tensile strength. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) measurement of fluorinated cotton showed there is an increase in surface oxygen and fluorine levels plus formation bonds - COO and –CHF at 289.5eV on cotton surface