Thin polymer based nanocomposite coatings obtained by vacuum methods have unique properties. They give a possibility to resolve different technical tasks. Effective methods of composite coatings deposition are thermal evaporation or laser evaporation and precipitation of complex compound vapors on substrate.
Generation of active gas phase by electron-beam dispersion of bulk polymers is very perspective technology. This method is the most effective especially for deposition of coating with complex structure and composition. Additional activation of particles in gas flow may be made by glow discharge excitation. Polymer and composite layers obtained from active gas flow have high mechanical and electrophysical properties.
The main target of the present work is investigation of morphology and properties of nanocomposite polymer-polymer and polymer-metal coatings deposited from active gas phase under the conditions of additional plasma activation.
It is established that composite coatings structure and properties are different from homogenous coatings. It shows that composite coating structure is the mechanical mixture of homogenous polymers nanoparticles. Deposition of composite polymer-polymeric coatings is an effective way to decrease the friction coefficient. Composite coatings have much lower and more stable friction coefficient to compare with single polymer coatings.
The structure of metal contained polytetrafluoroethylene and polyethylene nanocomposite coatings consist from polymer matrix and uniformly distributed metal particles. These coatings become continuous with effective thickness more then 3 nm. This effect may be connected with the influence of metal particles onto adsorption and polymerization processes.
Thin nanocomposite polymer coatings have a developed morphology. The structure of coatings is greatly depended from deposition parameters and conditions. Additional activation of dispersion products by glow discharge leads to formation of more continuous coatings with high mechanical properties.