Enhancement of hydrophobicity and tensile strength of muga silk fiber by radiofrequency Ar plasma discharge

► Radiofrequency (RF) Ar plasma treatment for improvement in hydrophobicity and tensile strength of muga silk fiber. ► Investigation of the properties of the fibers treated at various RF powers (10-30 W) and treatment times (5-20 min). ► Increase in RF power rather than treatment time affects the chemical composition of the fibers. ► The treated muga fibers exhibit almost similar thermal behavior as compared to the virgin one. ► Correlation of the properties of plasma treated fibers with XPS and their surface morphologies.