Wet-chemical silvering of inert polyethylene terephthalate yarn in a spool dyeing apparatus

Inert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarns, which were spooled crosswise onto a cylindrical dyeing bobbin, were silvered successfully with a wet-chemical method by using a newly developed one-bath method on a laboratory scale. In order to characterize the silver coating such as design, homogeneity, and crack formation, the surface morphology (SM) was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical compositions of the surface (percentage of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicium, and silver) were investigated with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Furthermore, the testing of textile-chemical and textile-physical properties such as the washing-fastness, tensile strength, and electrical conductivity was carried out.