Imparting antimicrobial properties to polypropylene non-woven material using plasma fluorination

The effect of low-temperature plasma generated in a fluorine-containing gas on the composition and properties of polypropylene films and non-woven materials was investigated. It was determined that fluorine-containing plasma treatment leads to a considerable increase in the hydrophobicity of polypropylene materials. It was shown that this effect is related to the fluorination of their surface, which results in the formation of CF_n groups (n = 1–3) and the increase in the roughness of both the film and the fibers that form the non-woven material. It was found that fluorinated polypropylene materials acquire antimicrobial properties. A relation between the intensity of suppression of the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms by the polypropylene material and the roughness of the film fluorinated using low-temperature plasma was revealed. It was shown that treatment in a fluorine-containing low-temperature plasma does not lead to the appearance of visually detectable cross-links of the fibers that form the non-woven material.