ION-BEAM APPLICATION FOR IMPROVED POLYMER SURFACE-PROPERTIES

Various polymeric materials were subjected to bombardment by different energetic ions with energies ranging from 200 to 1000 keV. Tests showed substantial improvements in hardness, wear resistance, oxidation resistance, resistance to chemicals, and electrical conductivity. The magnitude of property changes was strongly dependent upon ion species, energy, dose, and polymer structure. Both hardness and electrical conductivity increased with ion energy and dose. These properties were apparently related to the effectiveness of cross-linking. loon species with a large electronic stopping cross-section are expected to produce more cross-linking. It is believed that the polymer property improvements are commensurate with the extent of cross-linking, which is responsible for the formation of three-dimensionally-connected, carbon-rich, rigid networks.