Surface modification of polymer textiles by thermally dried ozone (O(3)) was investigated for wool, cotton, raw silk, polyester and nylon textiles. Gaseous dried O(3), which was produced using silent discharge ozonizers from oxygen gas, was used in order to treat polymer textile surfaces. The ozone concentration was 2100 ppm (w/v) (9.5 x 10(-5) mol/1). It was noted that the treatment effectiveness of the textile with O(3) increased with temperature of the gas. Surface morphology of the treated textiles was observed with a scanning electron microscope. The O(3) modification process at 70 degrees C altered the surface roughness of textiles, especially the morphology of wool textile showed that the ozonolysis process etched the wool textile surface. The surface wettability of each textile was tested with water contact angles before and after the treatment. The data showed that hydrophilic nature of the treated textile was significantly enhanced after the treatment. In the case of wool textile, the ozonolysis process at 70 degrees C also altered the cuticle structure on the textile surface. The textile treated with O(3) at 70 degrees C showed no shrinkage by water washing of the textile. Thus, it can be concluded that this method is useful to obtain shrink-resistant wool. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011