Modification of wool protein fiber with plasma and dendrimer: Effects on dyeing with cochineal

In this study, plasma treatment and a poly(propylene imine) dendrimer were employed to improve the dyeability of wool fibers with cochineal natural dye. FESEM, EDX, AFM and FTIR techniques were employed to investigate the effects of these treatments on chemical and physical properties of wool fibers. The etching of the surface layer of wool fibers and increased roughness after plasma treatment was confirmed by FESEM and AFM images. EDX and FTIR analyses confirmed the creation of oxygen-containing groups and attachment of dendrimer molecules on wool fibers after plasma and dendrimer treatments respectively. The effects of different dyeing parameters on dye absorption and the applicability of different isotherm and kinetic models on the dyeing process were investigated. The results showed that the kinetics of absorption of cochineal on raw, plasma-treated and dendrimer-treated fibers was best fitted with the pseudo-second-order model and the isotherms of the dyeing processes followed the Freundlich model.