Investigating the Applicability of Metal Ion Implantation Technique (MEVVA) to Textile Surfaces

Abstract

Polyethylene terephalate (PET) samples were modified by Cu, C, Ti, and Cr implantation using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) implanter. The ions were implanted at an accelerating voltage of 30 kV with a dose ranging from 1 × 1014 to 1 × 1017 ions/cm2. In the first part of this study, Cu ions were implanted to improve the electrical properties of PET woven fabrics, and in the second part, C, Ti and Cr ions were implanted to enhance the mechanical properties of PET membrane fabrics. After implantation, the results showed that the half-charge decay time of implanted fabric lessened to milliseconds, and the friction coefficient and wear loss values decreased significantly. The surface morphologies of the samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The changes in chemical structure were observed by IR spectra.