Polymeric thermal analysis of C+H and C+H+Ar ion implanted UHMWPE samples

Abstract

Chemical surface characterization of C + H hybrid ion implanted UHMWPE samples were carried out using DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) and TGA (thermal gravimetric analysis) techniques. Samples were implanted with a fluence of 10(17) ion/cm(2) and an extraction voltage of 30 kV. The study of TGA and DSC curves showed that: (1) Polymeric decomposition temperature increased, (2) T-m, Delta C-p and Delta H-m values changed while Delta C-p and Delta H-m increased. T-g value could not be measured, because of some experimental limitations. However, the increase in Delta H-m values showed that T-g values increased, (3) the branch density which indicated the increase in number of cross-link (M-c) decreased in ion implanted samples and (4) increase in Delta H-m values indicated increase in crystallinity of implanted surface of UHMWPE samples.