Abstract
Selectively irradiated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surfaces combining the low friction and non-abrasive attributes of an unirradiated polymer with the enhanced wear resistance of wholly irradiated PTFE are demonstrated. Augmented wear resistance, similar to that of filled PTFE composites, is obtained without the accompanying counterface abrasion typical of hard particulate fillers. Friction of these ‘composite’ irradiated/unirradiated surfaces can be less than that of unirradiated PTFE, as irradiated regions limit transfer morphology to only thin oriented films. Spatially distributed irradiated and unirradiated surface regions are patterned by masking 225 keV incident electrons. Under the given contact conditions (6.5 MPa nominal pressure against polished stainless steel) such self-lubricating, wear-resistant composite surfaces had lifetimes of several kilometers sliding distance before giving way to rapid wear of the underlying unmodified PTFE.
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