Modification of surface composition of teflon by metal plasma ion implantation

Polymeric materials are widely used in the industry. Most polymeric materials possess intrinsic dielectric properties, good electrical insulation, hydrophobicity, chemical inertness, anti-adherent characteristics, and in some instances, biocompatibility. However, some of these properties can impose an adverse effect on some applications. For example, the poor surface adhesion to other materials may in coating delamination and discoloration as well as poor protein absorption and cell attachment in biomedical applications. Ion implantation is a proven means to alter the surface properties of many materials including polymers. In this work, metal plasma ion implantation was employed to treat a fluorine-based polymer, Teflon. A cathodic arc vapor source was used in an immersion configuration. Several transition metals such as Fe, Co, Ni and Cu were implanted, and the surface properties such as surface energy, resistivity, mechanical properties and so on were evaluated. In addition, the surface morphology, chemical state of the implanted elements and the structure of the modified layer were examined using SEM, AFM, XRD, XPS and FTIR. The implantation dose was observed to influence the surface properties to some extent, and if the metal concentration exceeded the solubility limit in the polymer, metal precipitates or nano-clusters could form under the surface giving rise to interesting materials properties.