Article with reduced friction polymer sheet support

Abstract

A reduced friction composite sheet construction comprises a semicrystalline polymeric sheet support having a first and second surface, said surfaces having in the range of 5 to 99 percent crystalline polymeric material and 1 to 95 percent amorphous polymeric material, said first surface having been subjected to sputter-etching which preferentially ablates said amorphous material compared to said crystalline material so as to provide on said first surface ridges or needles of amplitude in the range of 0.01 to 5.0 micrometers, and a separation at their apexes in the range of 0.01 to 1.0 micrometers and having an aspect ratio in the range of 0.5 to 7, said first surface having at least one of static and dynamic coefficients of friction in the range of 0.01 to 0.7, and at least one functional layer coated on said second surface of said support.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.