Surface modification of polypropylene nonwoven with composite metallic layers

Polymer fibres have the great potential for application due to their large surface area relative to volume, incomparably large length relative to the cross-section, high strength and ease of forming the nonwovens in thermal processing. Due to the specific properties of textiles, they are applied, among others in the manufacture of filters, sensors, biomedical devices and protective clothing. This study was aimed to evaluate the surface morphology of polypropylene nonwoven modified with metallic layers CuSn, CuZnNi, NiCuFe, deposited by the magnetron sputtering technique. There was also carried out a qualitative and quantitative analysis of deposited thin layers and their compositions were compared with compositions of targets used for magnetrons. The surface morphology was tested using the metallographic optical microscope with a CF160 optical system and the scanning electron microscope adapted to work in an environmental mode. A study of composition was based on a microanalysis using the energy dispersive X-ray radiation deriving from the excited atoms (EDS).