Desizing using Low-Temperature Plasma treatment: Recent development in plasma treatment of textile material has revealed that it has enormous application as an alternative to textile processing in terms if saving in energy, water etc.

(Figure source from Indian Journal of Fibre and Textile Research, Vol 36, March 2011, p42) 

 Plasma is considered as fourth state  of matter (Three states :Solid, liquid and gas). Plasma treatment is a ecological viable desizing process. In this treatment special type of equipment is used to generate Plasma. The textile material is exposed to the Plasma in an evacuated chamber. The removal of size depends upon radio frequency power, dwell time and plasma gas composition.

In this process, starch sized cotton textiles are subjected to 100-200w oxygen plasma and exposed for 8-10 min. This process convert 65% of all organic sizing materials to gaseous compounds which are evacuated. Subsequent rinsing in water at room temperature removes 30-35% of left out size. There is one draw back associated with this process. Like solvent treatment size recovery and recycling are not possible in this treatment.