Studies on polyethylene substrates modified by laser-assisted ion implantation

The goal of this work is the modification of bio-medical materials. UHMWPE polyethylene was processed and analyzed. A UV pulsed lasers was employed to produce C and Ti ions of different charge with current densities of the order of 10 mA/cm2. The ions were accelerated by the application of a 30 kV to increase energy and to implant the polyethylene surfaces up to a depth of about 200 nm. Preliminary results about surface properties indicate that implanted surfaces have higher wetting and micro-hardness with respect to un-implanted ones.