Process for applying a metal coating to a non-conductive substrate
Inactive Publication Date: 2012-06-28
ATOTECH DEUT GMBH
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[0020]The process according to the present invention does not apply an electroless coating process. Unlike the direct electroless plating methods using an additional reducing agent the method applied according to the present invention is directed to a two step process consisting of the steps (a) and (b) described above in which the conductivity of th
Problems solved by technology
Methods according to the first variant with electroless metallisation have, however, proved disadvantageous, as process management of the electroless metallising bath is difficult, treatment of the waste water from this bath is complex and expensive, and the process is lengthy and thus likewise expensive due to the low deposition speed of the metallising bath.
Especially for metal coating of plastic parts, for example for sanitary fittings and for the automobile industry, and of parts which are used as casings for electrical appliances which are screened against electromagnetic radiation, the electroless metallising methods are problematic.
As electroless metallising baths normally contain considerable quantities of toxic formaldehyde and complex formers which are only removable with difficulty, in their treatment large quantities of these baths are lost and must be disposed of in a complicated manner.
The problem in such baths is that non-adherent copper metal particles (“fines”) are formed in the plating bath during the course of autocatalytic electroless copper deposition onto activated substrate surfaces.
Copper metal may also undesirably deposit on non-workpiece areas.
Also, in this process copper may undesirably deposit on non-workpiece areas.
The processes described in EP 0 616 053 Al and WO 96 / 29452 are disadvantageous in that they require the use of high amounts of a noble metal such as palladium which is a very expensive metal.
If the palladium amount in the activation step is reduced, the plating results are unsatisfactory.
Method used
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example 1
[0066]Two compositions (A) and (B) were prepared as shown below:
[0076]The pH of composition (A) was 4.1. The pH of composition (B) was 13.
[0077]90 ml / l of composition (A) and 13 ml / l of composition (B) were mixed to obtain a bath comprising the above mentioned components and ingredients and to be employed as a composition according to step (b) described above.
[0078]Two plates made of ABS-PC (8×10 cm) were treated with an etching solution containing chrome (VI) oxide for 10 minutes at a temperature of 70° C. After a rinsing treatment, chrome (VI) compounds adhering to the substrate surfaces were reduced to chrome (III) compounds by treating the substrate with a redu...
example 2
Electrolytic Copper Plating of Pretreated Samples 1 and 2
[0088]The following experiment was performed to show the superior metallisation results:
[0089]The substrates treated according to Example 1 were washed with water and then subjected to a subsequent copper electroplating step. A commercially available copper electroplating bath Cupracid® Ultra (Atotech Deutschland GmbH) was used, which contains 250 g / I copper sulfate, 50 g / l sulphuric acid, 50 ppm chloride ions and a brightening agent.
[0090]The electroplating operation was performed at a plating solution temperature of 25° C. and a current density of 3 A / dm2 for 5 min.
[0091]Metallisation Result:
[0092]Sample 1 (no electrical treatment): incomplete metal coverage of the surface, voids remaining.
[0093]Sample 2 (electrical treatment): complete metal coverage of the surface, no voids remaining, very good plating result.
[0094]The higher amount of metallic Cu (0) absorbed on the substrate surface as treated with a process according to...
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Abstract
Described is a new process for applying a metalcoating to a non-conductive substrate comprising the steps of (a) contacting the substrate with an activator comprising a noble metal / group IVA metalsol to obtain a treated substrate, (b) contacting said treated substrate with a composition comprising a solution of: (i) a Cu(II), Ag, Au or Ni soluble metal salt or mixtures thereof, (ii) 0.05 to 5 mol / l of a group IA metal hydroxide and (iii) a complexing agent for an ion of the metal of said metal salt comprising an organic material having a cumulative formation constant log K of from about 0.73 to about 21.95 for an ion of the metal of said metal salt, characterised in that the composition according to step (b) is treated with an electrical current for a period of time prior to and / or during contacting said solution with the substrate.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE[0001]The invention relates to a process for applying a metal coating to a non-conductive substrate and to a composition used in this process which is electrically treated to enhance its performance.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Various methods are known of coating non-conductive surfaces. In wet chemical methods, the surfaces to be metallised are, after an appropriate preliminary treatment, either firstly catalysed and then metallised in an electroless manner and thereafter, if necessary, metallised electrolytically, or are directly electrolytically metallised.[0003]Methods according to the first variant with electroless metallisation have, however, proved disadvantageous, as process management of the electroless metallising bath is difficult, treatment of the waste water from this bath is complex and expensive, and the process is lengthy and thus likewise expensive due to the low deposition speed of the metallising bath.[0004]Especially for metal coating ...
Claims
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