Tribological Behaviour of Polymers in Terms of Plasma Treatment: A Brief Review

Abstract A review to enrich the literature concerning the effect of various plasmas on the tribological behaviour of polymers and monitor the developments of plasma for the modification of polymer surfaces over recent decades using up-to-date data. A comparative study of plasmas was conducted to identify the most useful and efficient ones which facilitate optimal improvements with regard to the characterizations of polymer surfaces and tribological properties. The studies included in this review strongly suggest that (besides Plasma-Immersion Ion Implantation, PIII) atmospheric plasmas (dielectric barrier discharges, DBD) are an effective technique in terms of modifying the characterizations of polymer surfaces thereby enhancing the tribological behaviour of polymers under different operating conditions that extends the operating life of elements within the machine.