Dichloromethane (DCM) was polymerized on cotton and polyester fabrics in nonequilibrium low-temperature plasma for different durations and the effects obtained were discussed. The modified cotton and polyester fabrics were dyed with Reactive Red HE 8BI and C.I. Disperse Red 364 dyes, respectively. The relative color strength of polymerized dyed fabrics was measured and compared with that of untreated dyed fabrics. The color parameters of polymerized fabrics were evaluated by the CIE system of color measurement, with standard illuminant D65 and 10°s tandard observer, by a Dataflash 100 color measurement spectrophotometer equipped with Colortools QC 1.3 color quality control software. The chemical structures of untreated and polymerized fabrics were studied by attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy. The presence of free radicals, attributed to the polymerization, was measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

Polyester fabric is treated with DCDMS solution by two methods: dipping the fabric directly in DCDMS solution for different intervals and dipping the fabric in DCDMS solution after its exposure into RF plasma chamber for different durations at optimized exposure power conditions. The physical properties of polyester fabric treated with DCDMS in the presence or absence of air plasma have been compared with control fabric. Different characterization techniques like scanning electron microscope, attenuated total reflectance-IR and Dataflash 100 colour measurement spectrophotometer are used to assess the surface morphology, composition and change in colour parameters. Water repellency property of both untreated and modified polyester fabric is studied using AATCC test method 39 (1971). The effectiveness of the water repellency property of modified polyester fabric is checked by repeated washing up to ten cycles.

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