Influence of Plasma Processing Conditions on Molecular Mobility and Molecular Packing of Keratin Fibers

It is shown by the nuclear magnetic resonance method that the processing of keratin fibers in nonequilibrium low-temperature plasma at low pressure under hydrophobic and hydrophilic modes leads to the increase and redistribution of space, available for molecular movements, through the whole volume of the amorphous phase both in surface and close-packed subsurface layers. Under the hydrophobic mode of plasma processing, the process of surface loosening is finished by the formation of strong cross bonds, which limit the access to the formed voids of various scales and reduce the flexibility of keratin fibers.