Polymer tribology by combining ion-implantation and radionuclide tracing

H. TIMMERS; L. G. GLADKIS; J.A. WARNER; A. BYRNE; M. F. DEL GROSSO; C. ARBEITMAN; G. GARCÍA BERMÚDEZ; T. GERUSCHKE; R. VIANDEN

NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH B - BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Holanda; Año: 2010 vol. 268 p. 2119 - 2123

0168-583X

Radionuclide tracers were ion implanted with three different techniques into the ultra-high molecularweight polyethylene polymer. Tracer nuclei of 7Be were produced with inverse kinematics via the reactionp(7Li,7Be)n and caught by polymer samples at a forward scattering angle with a maximum implantationenergy of 16 MeV. For the first time, 97Ru, 100Pd, and, independently, 111In have been used asradionuclide tracers in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. 97Ru and 100Pd were recoil-implantedfollowing the fusion evaporation reactions 92Zr(12C,a3n) 97Ru and 92Zr(12C,4n)100Pd with a maximumimplantation energy of 8 MeV. 111In ions were produced in an ion source, mass-separated and implantedat 160 keV. The tribology of implanted polymer samples was studied by tracing the radionuclide duringmechanical wear. Uni-directional and bi-directional sliding apparatus with stainless steel actuators wereused. Results suggest a debris exchange process as the characteristic feature of the wear-in phase. Thisprocess can establish the steady state required for a subsequently constant wear rate in agreement withArchard’s equation. The nano-scale implantation of mass-separated 111In appears best suited to the studyof non-linear tribological processes during wear-in. Such non-linear processes may be expected to beimportant in micro- and nanomachines.