KINETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ETCHING OF A POLY(ETHYLENE-TEREPHTHALATE) FABRIC IN ACTIVE OXYGEN .1. THE ACTION OF OXYGEN PLASMA

Etching of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) fabric in the positive colum n of a direct-current discharge in oxygen was studied. Temperature dep endences for the rates of CO2, CO, H-2, and H2O evolution, O-2 consump tion, and total mass loss were measured in the region 295 - 400 K, and the apparent activation energies were thus determined. It was found t hat the etching rates are proportional to the concentration of O(P-3) atoms in the gas phase. On the basis of this relationship, th, probabi lity of interaction of these atoms with the material was estimated.