Method and apparatus for treatment of textile materials

Abstract

A method and apparatus perform surface treatment of fibers of woven and non-woven textile materials to be affected by electrical plasma generated by electrical discharges from two electrically conductive electrodes situated inside a dielectric body. A voltage of a frequency from 50 Hz to 1 MHz and magnitude from 100 V to 100 kV is applied between the electrodes of the electrode system which is situated in a gas at a pressure from 1 kPa to 1,000 kPa. The electrical plasma is generated on a portion of the dielectric body surface without contacting the electrically conductive electrodes. The apparatus treats textile materials using electrically conductive electrodes situated inside of the dielectric body and are situated on the same side of the textile material affected by the plasma. The electrically conductive electrodes are parallel with the portion of the surface of the dielectric body on which the electrical plasma is generated.

1 - 19 . (canceled).  
     
     
         20 . A method for treating textile materials for surface treatment of fibers of woven and non-woven textile materials that are situated inside of the textile materials or on the surface of the textile materials, comprising the step of: 
 affecting the textile materials with electrical plasma generated by electrical discharges initiated using an electrode system having at least two electrically conductive electrodes situated inside of a dielectric body on the same side of the textile material treated, wherein the step of affecting includes the steps of: 
 applying a voltage of a frequency from 50 Hz to 1 MHz and magnitude from 100 V to 100 kV between the electrodes of the electrode system; and  
 situating the electrode system in a gas at a pressure from 1 kPa to 1,000 kPa, wherein the electrical plasma is generated on a portion of the dielectric body surface without a contact with the electrically conductive electrodes.  
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the treated material is in contact with the surface of the dielectric body in which the electrodes are situated.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the electrical discharge initiation and the plasma generation is facilitated by an addition auxiliary electrode structure that is a part of the electrode system and is situated inside the dielectric body.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the electric voltage applied to the auxiliary electrode structure is different from the voltage applied to the other electrically conductive electrodes of the electrode system.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the textile material is treated in the shape of a given planar pattern in contact with the plasma generated on the dielectric body surface under which the electrodes are situated and that has the shape of the given pattern.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the treated textile material is moved along the dielectric body in which the electrodes are situated.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the treated textile material is moved along the dielectric body in which the electrodes are situated.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the treated textile material is moved between two electrode systems.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the treated textile material is guided by the electrode system surface having the shape of a cylindrical surface.  
     
     
         29 . An apparatus for treating textile materials comprising: 
 electrically conductive electrodes ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) that are situated inside of the dielectric body and are situated on the same side of the textile material ( 4 ) affected by the plasma.    
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the electrically conductive electrodes ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) are parallel with the portion of the surface of the dielectric body ( 5 ) on which the electrical plasma is generated.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the portion of the dielectric body ( 5 ) surface under which the electrodes ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) are situated has the shape of a given pattern.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29  wherein the apparatus contains the electrode system ( 1 ) having: 
 at least two electrically conductive electrodes ( 2 ) and ( 3 ), which are situated inside of the dielectric body ( 5 ); and  
 an auxiliary electrode structure ( 6 ) that also is situated inside the dielectric body ( 5 ).  
 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising: 
 electrode systems ( 1 ) situated on both sides of the textile material ( 4 ) affected by the plasma.    
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein a portion of the electrode system ( 1 ) has the shape of a plane surface, curved surface, or cylindrical surface.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein a part of the dielectric body ( 5 ) is made from a ferroelectric material.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein a part of the dielectric body ( 5 ) is made from a liquid dielectric material.  
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein edges of electrically conductive electrodes ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) are curved.  
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein a part of the dielectric body contains MgO.  
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein edges of electrodes of the auxiliary electrode structure ( 6 ) are curved.