Improved wear properties of high energy ion-implanted polycarbonate

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of Materials Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1995.0190· OSTI ID:6880335

Rao, G R; Lee, E H ^[1]; Bhattacharya, R; McCormick, A W ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bldg. 5500, M.S. 6376, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6376 (United States)
2. UES, Inc., 4401, Dayton-Xenia Road, Dayton, Ohio 45432 (United States)

Polycarbonate (Lexan[sup TM]) (PC) was implanted with 2 MeV B[sup +] and O[sup +] ions separately to fluences of 5[times]10[sup 17], 1[times]10[sup 18], and 5[times]10[sup 18] ions/m[sup 2], and characterized for changes in surface hardness and tribological properties. Results of tests showed that hardness values of all implanted specimens increased over those of the unirradiated material, and the O[sup +] implantation was more effective in improving hardness for a given fluence than the B[sup +] implantation. Reciprocating sliding wear tests using a nylon ball counterface yielded significant improvements for all implanted specimens except for the 5[times]10[sup 17] ions/m[sup 2] B[sup +]-implanted PC. Wear tests conducted with a 52100 steel ball yielded significant improvements for the highest fluence of 5[times]10[sup 18] ions/m[sup 2] for both ions, but not for the two lower fluences. The improvements in properties were related to Linear Energy Transfer (LET) mechanisms, where it was shown that the O[sup +] implantation caused greater ionization, thereby greater cross-linking at the surface corresponding to much better improvements in properties. The results were also compared with a previous study on PC using 200 keV B[sup +] ions. The present study indicates that high energy ion irradiation produces thicker, more cross-linked, harder, and more wear-resistant surfaces on polymers and thereby improves properties to a greater extent and more efficiently than lower energy ion implantation.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6880335
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Materials Research; (United States) Vol. 10:1; ISSN JMREEE; ISSN 0884-2914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603* -- Materials-- Properties
BORON IONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CHARGED PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
HARDENING
ION IMPLANTATION
IONS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MEV RANGE
MEV RANGE 01-10
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN IONS
POLYCARBONATES
SURFACE HARDENING
SURFACE TREATMENTS
WEAR RESISTANCE