Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Surface hardening in N+ implanted polycarbonate

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The influence of low energy nitrogen ions on the surface hardness of polycarbonate has been studied by implanting some of these specimens with 100 keV N+ ions at a beam current of 1 μA/cm2 in the dose range of 1 × 1015 to 1 × 1017 ions cm−2. Knoop microhardness has been found to be increased nearly 24 times at a load of 9.8 mN, for the dose of 1 × 1017 ions cm−2. The structural changes occurred in implanted specimens were studied by Raman analysis, UV–Visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction techniques. Raman studies point toward the formation of a structure resembling hydrogenated amorphous carbon. Disordering in the surface structure (I D/I G ratio) has also been found to increase with ion fluence using Raman technique. UV–Visible spectroscopic analysis shows a clear enhancement in Urbach energy (disorder parameter) from a value of 0.61 eV (virgin sample) to 1.72 eV (at a fluence of 1 × 1017 N+ cm−2) with increasing ion dose. The increase in Urbach energy has been found to be correlated linearly with the increase in Knoop microhardness number. Results of X-ray diffraction analysis also indicate disordering in implanted layers as a result of implantation. In the present work, the possible mechanism behind the formation of harder surfaces due to implantation has been discussed in detail.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kondyurin A, Bilek M (2008) Ion beam treatment of polymers; applications aspects from medicine to space. Elsevier, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  2. Popok VN (2012) Ion implantation of polymers: formation of nanoparticulate materials. Rev Adv Mater Sci 30:1–26

    Google Scholar 

  3. Li J, Stein D, McMullan C, Branton D, Aziz MJ, Golovchenko J (2001) Ion-beam sculpting at nanometre length scales. Nature 412:166–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chawla M, Shekhawat N, Aggarwal S, Sharma A, Nair KGM (2014) Cole-Cole analysis and electrical conduction mechanism of N+ implanted polycarbonate. J Appl Phys 115:184104-1–184104-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hasebe T, Nagashima S, Yoshimoto Y, Hotta A, Suzuki T (2012) Tailoring surface topographies of polymers by using ion beam: recent advances and the potential applications in biomedical and tissue engineering. Nucl Instr Meth Phys Res B 282:134–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Wu Y, Sun C, Xiao J, Li R, Yang D, He S (2010) A study on the free-radical evolution and its correlation with the optical degradation of 179 keV proton-irradiated polyimide. Polym Degrad Stab 95:1219–1225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Stoyanov HY, Stefanov IL, Tsutsumanova GG, Russev SC (2012) Depth-profiled characterization of complex refractive index of ion implanted optically transparent polymers using multilayer calculations and reflectance data. Vacuum 86:1822–1827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Seki N, Arai T, Suzuki Y, Kawakami H (2012) Novel polyimide-based electrospun carbon nanofibers prepared using ion-beam irradiation. Polymer 53:2062–2067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Shi W, Li XY, Dong H (2004) Preliminary investigation into the load bearing capacity of ion beam surface modified UHMWPE. J Mater Sci 39:3183–3186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bernas H (ed) (2010) Topics in applied physics: material science with ion-beam, vol 113. Springer, Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fink D (ed) (2004) Fundamentals of ion-irradiated polymers. Springer, Hedelberg

    Google Scholar 

  12. Shekhawat N, Aggarwal S, Sharma A, Sharma SK, Deshpande SK, Nair KGM (2011) Surface disordering and its correlations with properties in argon implanted CR-39 polymer. J Appl Phys 109:083513-1–083513-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Yedji M, Ross GG (2006) Effect of electric charge accumulation on the modification of surface properties by means of low energy ion implantation. J Phys D Appl Phys 39:4429–4435

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Marcondes AR, Ueda M, Kostov KG, Beloto AF, Leite NF, Gomes GF, Lepienski CM (2004) Improvements of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene mechanical properties by nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation. Braz J Phys 34:1667–1672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Rodil SE, Morrison NA, Robertson J, Milne WI (1999) Nitrogen incorporation into tetrahedral hydrogenated amorphous carbon. Phys Stat Sol 174:25–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Hara Y, Takeda K, Yamakawa K, Den S, Toyoda H, Sekine M, Hori M (2012) Nitriding of polymer by low energy nitrogen neutral beam source. Appl Phys Express 5:035801-1–035801-3

    Google Scholar 

  17. Chanda M, Roy SK (2007) Industrial polymers; specialty polymers and their applications. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  18. Sharma A, Aggarwal S, Kumar P, Kanjilal D (2013) Kr++ ion implantation-induced changes in optical properties of polycarbonate. Inter J Polym Mater 62:1–4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Guzman L, Celva R, Miotello A, Voltolini E, Ferrari F, Adami M (1998) Polymer surface modification by ion implantation and reactive deposition of transparent films. Surf Coat Technol 103–104:375–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Rodriguez RJ, Medrano A, Garcia JA, Fuentes GG, Martinez R, Puertolas JA (2002) Modification of surface mechanical properties of polycarbonate by ion implantation. Surf Coat Technol 158–159:636–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Zeigler JF, Ziegler MD, Biersack JP. SRIM 2008.04 software package, Available online at http://www.srim.org

  22. Kim JT, Park JK, Lee DC (2002) Surface modification of polyimide film by ion implantation. Polym Int 51:1063–1065

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Valenza A, Visco AM, Torrisi L, Campo N (2004) Characterization of ultra-high-molecular-weight (UHMWPE) modified by ion implantation. Polymer 45:1707–1715

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Wang Q, Wang C, Wang Z, Zhang J, He D (2007) Fullerene nanostructure-induced excellent mechanical properties in hydrogenated amorphous carbon. Appl Phys Lett 91:141902-1–141902-3

    Google Scholar 

  25. Shekhawat N, Sharma A, Aggarwal S, Nair KGM (2011) Refractive index engineering in polycarbonate implanted by 100 keV N+ ions. Opt Eng 50:044601-1–044601-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Mayo DW, Miller FA, Hannah RW (2004) Course notes on the interpretation of infrared and Raman spectra. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  27. Veres M, Toth A, Mohai M, Bertoti I, Szepvolgyi J, Toth S, Himics L, Koos M (2012) Two wavelength Raman study of poly(ethylene terephthalate) surfaces modified by helium plasma-based ion implantation. Appl Surf Sci 263:423–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Weber WH, Merlin R (2000) Raman scattering in material science. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  29. Ferrari AC (2007) Raman spectroscopy of graphene and graphite: disorder, electron-phonon coupling, doping and nonadiabatic effects. Solid State Commun 143:47–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. McCann R, Roy SS, Papakonstantinou P, McLaughlin JA, Ray SC (2005) Spectrocopic analysis of a-C and a-CNx films prepared by ultrafast high repetition rate pulsed laser deposition. J Appl Phys 97:073522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Pavia DL, Lampman GM and Kriz GS (1994), Introduction to spectroscopy, 2nd ed., New York Harcourt Brace College

  32. Tauc J (1976) Amorphous and liquid semiconductors. Plenum, London

    Google Scholar 

  33. Sorieul S, Costantini JM, Gosmain L, Calas G, Grob JJ, Thome L (2006) Study of damage in ion-irradiated α-SiC by optical spectroscopy. J Phys: Condens Matter 18:8493–8502

    Google Scholar 

  34. Fanchini G, Tagliaferro A (2004) Disorder and Urbach energy in hydrogenated amorphous carbon: a phenomenological model. Appl Phys Lett 85:730–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Resta V, Quarta G, Maruccio L, Calcagnile L (2014) Copper ion implantation of polycarbonate matrices: morphological and structural properties. Nucl Instr Meth Phys Res B 331:187–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Guo SS, Lau ST, Chan HLW, Zhao XZ, Choy CL (2003) Structural evolution and dielectric behavior of electron-irradiated poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethyene) 80/20 mol% copolymers. J Appl Phys 94:5566–5573

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi, India, and UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Mumbai Centre, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India, for providing kind support. Authors are also thankful to Mr. P. Magudapathy, Material Science Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam, India for his kind help during implantation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India

    Nidhi Shekhawat, Sanjeev Aggarwal & Annu Sharma

  2. UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Kalpakkam Node, Kokilamedu, 603104, Tamilnadu, India

    K. G. M. Nair

Authors
  1. Nidhi Shekhawat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sanjeev Aggarwal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Annu Sharma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. G. M. Nair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nidhi Shekhawat.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shekhawat, N., Aggarwal, S., Sharma, A. et al. Surface hardening in N+ implanted polycarbonate. J Mater Sci 50, 3005–3013 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8817-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-015-8817-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation