Metal-ion implantation effects on nano-hardness and tribological properties of Nylon6

The technique of metal-ion implantation was employed for improving surface hardness and tribological properties of Nylon6. The samples of Nylon6 were implanted with the ions of Al, Ti, Fe and Ni to four fluences of 2×1015 ions cm−2, 1×1016 ions cm−2, 5×1016 ions cm−2 or 1×1017 ions cm−2. The pristine and implanted samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron spin resonance (ESR), nano-hardness indentation and wear testing. Nano-hardness and wear-resistance of Nylon6 was improved significantly by metal-ion implantation. In particular, 1×1016 ions cm−2 Al implantation showed the highest hardness of 3.34 GPa, the largest improvement by a factor of 5.4, and the smallest wear volume. The mechanisms underlying the improved nano-hardness and tribological properties are also addressed.