Friction Characteristics of Amorphous Carbon Films on Rubber Deposited by Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

Abstract

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films were deposited on rubber surface by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using a non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma torch. The effects of oxygen, in the deposition atmosphere, on the chemical and mechanical characteristics of a-C:H films were investigated. It was clarified that the amount of carbon atoms combined with oxygen atoms in the a-C:H films increased with the increase of the oxygen content in the deposition atmosphere. On the other hand, surface hardness decreased as the oxygen content increased. As a result, a very low frictional property of a-C:H films was achieved by CVD, using the non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma torch with eliminating oxygen from the deposition atmosphere.

Keywords

• diamond-like carbon
• amorphous carbon
• atmospheric pressure plasma
• cvd
• oxygen
• friction
• rubber