Modification of Leather Surface Using Low-Pressure Plasma and Antimicrobial Reagent

¹ University of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Technology, Department of Materials, Fibers and Textile Testing, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 28a, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
² University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Rooseveltov trg 6 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

^* Corresponding author: sanja.ercegovic@ttf.unizg.hr

Abstract

Investigations, which are related to plasma efficiency on the treated leather surface, are significant in the development of ecologically and economically friendly processes in obtaining material of desired functional properties. Through the pretreatments using plasma different chemical-physical reactions in the surface layer of treated leather are occurred resulting in improved reactivity. In this paper, modification and functionalization of bovine leather using 1,2,3,4-butantetracarboxylic acid and chitosan were explored. Pretreatments of leather samples were realised using argon and oxygen plasma to assess various influence of chemically reactive oxygen and inert argon gas. Two different bovine leathers -chrome tanned leather and leather tanned with synthetic tanning agent (Cr-free) were chosen for treatments. Analyse of the surface morphology was conducted with SEM microscopy, while the chemical changes using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Antimicrobial effectiveness of treated leather was tested with qualitative Agar diffusion plate test against two bacterial Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Obtained results indicated how applied oxygen and argon plasma pretreatments in optimized process conditions contribute to the improvement of tested functional properties. Achieved surface changes positively affected on leather surface reactivity and antimicrobial effectiveness, particularly Cr-free leather.