Abstract

Polymer phenylcarbyne (PhC)_n, i.e. (C₆H₅C)_n, synthesized by chemical reaction, is a precursor to diamond like carbon. The polymer, when heated from room temperature to 800-1200°C for 1 hr, under 1 atm. of argon or 20 kpa of hydrogen, converted to hard and abrasive solid. The powder of this solid can easily scratch glass and quartz plates. After heat decomposition, the DLC films, obtained by coating (PhC)_n dissolved in organic solvent on various substrates BN, Si₃N₄ , and WC had considerably lower coefficient of friction and wear factors than those for BN, Si₃N₄, and WC flats. By SEM, dense diamond crystallites with grain sizes from several tens nanometers to several microns were observed. It proves that under heat decomposition, sp³ carbon phase has been formed.

© 1995 Optical Society of America