Three general considerations related to the results reported in the graphs of Figs. 4 and 5 can be noted: 1) Plasma pre-treatment does not improve the initial aqueous and oil repellency grade (without any washing). The amount of chemicals on the fabric surface is high enough to guarantee a very effective coating, which does not depend on the effect of plasma exposure. 2) After artificially ageing the finished samples, the plasma treatment shows its positive effect on the repellency behavior; despite washing cycles reducing the performance of all the tested samples, this reduction is attenuated when a plasma treatment precedes the standard finishes. 3) 100% He plasma is more effective than the mixture He/O2. The most
remarkable benefits of the plasma pre-treatment are observed with a 100% He plasma while the mixture 99% He+1% O2 lead to weaker coatings.