Investigation of the Possibilities of Wool Fiber Surface Modification with Copper Selenide

Abstract

A study of altering the conductive properties of wool fibers by applying copper selenide is presented. The researched modification of wool fibers was based on a two-stage adsorption-diffusion process. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed to evaluate the morphological and physical characteristics of all CuxSe-coated wool fibers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data showed a single, Cu0.87Se (klockmannite), crystalline phase present, while Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses showed that the concentrations of Cu and Se in copper selenide coatings depend on the number of wool fiber treatment cycles. It was determined that a dense layer of CuxSe grows through a nucleation mechanism followed by particle growth to fill out the complete surface. It was found that the conductivity of the coated wool fibers depends on the quality and density of the copper selenide coating, thus the resistance of electrically impermeable wool fibers can be reduced to 100 Ω by increasing the number of treatment cycles.

Effect of Copper Selenide Modification on the Conductivity of PA6, PA66, PAN, and PES Fibers

“…In this study, investigated synthetic fibers were modified with cooper selenides via the two-step adsorption-diffusion method. To explore the possibilities of the use of the mix of different natural industrial fibers waste for the creation of new functional composites, the preparation of treated yarn samples followed the same identical conditions as in previous studies of cyclic modification of wool fibers [17]. One fiber modification treatment cycle consisted of two steps.…”

“…Materials 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 18 wool fibers under the chosen treatment conditions of the adsorption-diffusion method [17].…”

“…The yarns were then carefully washed with distilled water and dried for no less than 24 h. This surface selenization treatment method has been used successfully in previous studies [19,20]. The preparation procedure of modification materials has been previously reported sequentially [17]. In the second stage, the selenized fibers were treated with Cu (II/I) salts to form Cu x Se crystals.…”

“…The gain in textile mass as an indicator of the coating process is often used by researchers in the development of functional materials with various coatings [22][23][24][25][26][27]. The growth of the copper selenide crystal coating layer on the surface of the investigated wool fibers was first judged by the weight gain of the samples [17].…”

“…Different types of nature knitting yarn waste from Lithuanian companies were studied. In previous research, an electrically conductive copper selenide coating was successfully formed on the surface of wool fibers under the chosen treatment conditions of the adsorption-diffusion method [17].…”