Eur. Phys. J. D (2019) 73: 71
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2019-90281-3

Regular Article

Surface and thermal characteristics relationship of atmospheric pressure plasma treated natural luffa fibers

¹ Plasma Technology and Material Science Unit (PTMSU), College of Science and Humanities, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, PO 173, 11942 Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
² Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, 44519 Zagazig, Egypt

^a e-mail: essam29@hotmail.com

Received: 11 June 2018
Received in final form: 24 September 2018
Published online: 2 April 2019

Abstract

In this work, the effects of Ar and He atmospheric pressure plasma on the natural luffa fibers surface and thermal properties were investigated. Optical emission spectroscopy OES has been used to characterize the Ar and He plasmas. The pristine and plasma-treated luffa fibers were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and water contact angle. The SEM images show the removal of hemicellulose and lignin layers from plasma treated luffa surface, whilst preserve their integrity. This was confirmed by FTIR and XPS results. XPS analysis of the plasma treated luffa fibers revealed the formation of oxygen containing functional groups and hence the O/C ratios increases from 0.18 in pristine to 1.08 and 1.09 in He and Ar plasma treated ones, respectively. This results lead to improvement of the adhesion and wettability characteristics of luffa fiber as well as their thermal stability.