Elastic metallic2plastic pads ( EMP) were irradiated by low energy aluminum ion in a metal vapor vacuum
arc (MEVVA) 80210 implantation system. The samples were irradiated with 20 keV Al ion with the influx f rom
1 ×1015 to 1 ×1016Al/ cm2 . Then the as2irradiated samples were measured by ESCA , XRD , AFM/ FFM and a nano2
probe. It is found that the hardness of as2irradiated samples is 5 6 times as that of the pristine ones. The worn
depth of sample implanted at ion influx of 1 ×1016 Al/ cm2 is about one eighth of that of the pristine sample at the
same load. The XRD result s show that there are some Al2O3 and AlF3 intermingled with the phase of polytet raflu2
oroethylene ( PTFE) . The experimental result s reveal that the t ribological properties of EMP can be significantly im2
proved by the ion beam surface modification.