To study the effect of laser irradiation on the properties of cotton fabric

Abstract

This research aimed to study the laser treatment as a finishing method on cotton fabric in order to modify the material's properties. The fibre structure and properties were studied along with the mechanical properties, surface morphology and properties and dyeing properties of cotton, which were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and standard physical testing methods, such as; tensile strength, tearing strength, wettability, and dyeing properties measurement techniques. After treating cotton fabric with laser, various levels of surface modification were obtained from different laser parameters, namely resolution and pixel time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that a characteristics porous surface structure was created by laser. It was discovered by FTIR and XPS analysis that the surface absorbance intensity decreased upon increasing the laser beam parameters. The fabric weight and fabric strength decreased with the resolution and pixel time. The wetting properties were highly improved by laser treatment on cotton. Moreover, the mechanical properties of tensile, shearing, bending, compression and surface were modified by laser irradiation. Further investigation was conducted in order to study the effect of laser treatment on cotton to explore the possibility of the laser technology applied in colour fading of textile goods, like denim washing processes. The dyeing strength results showed that the laser only affect the laser-treated side of the samples, the other side without the laser treatment remained like the control sample. By comparing with traditional washing processes, the laser fading effect was controlled by computer-aid instrument systematically and thus a predictable and desirable fading effect can be obtained by using laser.