Lubricating Polymer Surfaces

A lubricating polymer surface is important, especially in biomedical technologies. Low-friction surfaces enable easy insertion and removal of devices from patients. Earlier approaches were mostly simple applications involving lubricants such as lidocaine jelly, silicone oil, or non-permanent coating with low-friction materials such as polyethylene or fluoroplastics. However, these substances cannot maintain a high degree of slipperiness for the required duration of time. This book describes the principle of lubrication, outlines a variety of methods for attaining a lubricous surface, and describes the characteristics and properties of such lubricous surfaces.