Continuous flexible conductive material preparation device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a continuous flexible conductive material preparation device and method.The device comprises a continuous flexible material, a guide roller and a conductive coating assembly, the assembly is sequentially provided with a tackifying unit, a powdering unit, a curing unit, a chemical plating unit and a post-processing unit in the material conveying direction, the center lines of conveying channels of all the units are collinear, and the interface gap is smaller than or equal to 2 mm. The micro-nano metal powder seed source is planted through the powdering device, rapid growth and closing of the micro-nano metal powder seed source are achieved through chemical plating after solidification, a compact conductive network is constructed, and a finished product is obtained.The short-process, rapid, efficient and environment-friendly preparation of the continuous flexible high-conductivity material can be achieved, the prepared material is low in cost, good in conductivity and high in durability, material transmission deviation is avoided, and the continuous flexible high-conductivity material can be obtained. The method improves the compactness of the coating and the consistency of products, recovers redundant adhesion liquid and catalyst particles, reduces the production cost, and is suitable for preparation of continuous flexible conductive materials such as conductive yarns, fabrics and films.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flexible conductive material manufacturing, and more particularly to a continuous flexible conductive material preparation apparatus and method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of emerging fields such as smart wearables and flexible electronics, flexible conductive materials are experiencing increasingly strong market demand due to their core characteristics such as flexibility, conductivity, and lightweight. Chemical plating technology is a common method for achieving metallization and conductive modification of non-metallic flexible materials, and it has been widely used in products such as flexible sensors, electroluminescent devices, radiation-proof textiles, medical patches, and antibacterial therapeutic clothing.

[0003] However, existing chemical plating technology for flexible materials faces many technical challenges, which limit its industrial application: I. Low surface activation efficiency, high cost, and significant pollution risk. Flexible non-metallic materials require activation treatment before chemical plating. Traditionally, palladium, a precious metal, is used as an activator, which is costly and prone to problems such as overflow plating and decomposition of the plating solution (e.g., the chemical plating method for high-phosphorus nickel-phosphorus alloy disclosed in patent CN201610693187.7 relies on palladium as an activator, with activation costs reaching 5-8 yuan per square meter). Existing palladium-free activation technologies mostly rely on redox reactions to generate nano-nickel nuclei, which avoids the use of palladium but increases the consumption of chemical reagents and environmental pollution.

[0004] 2. Insufficient adhesion between the coating and the substrate. In traditional processes, the coating and the flexible substrate are only physically bonded, making them prone to detachment and failure. Although there are improved schemes that introduce active groups through molecular self-assembly or polymer grafting, the processes are complex and the preparation cycle is long (over 8 hours per preparation cycle), making it difficult to adapt to large-scale production.

[0005] Third, low production efficiency and poor coating quality. The existing process is cumbersome, with slow plating speed and long plating time (plating speed is usually ≤0.5μm / h). The coating is thin and uneven, and it is especially difficult to form a dense conductive network on the narrow and irregular surface of one-dimensional flexible materials such as yarn.

[0006] Fourth, the plating solution has poor stability and causes serious waste of resources. When the plating rate is high, the residual catalyst particles in the plating solution (such as dust particles and metal powder generated by side reactions) are prone to decomposition of the plating solution, which not only wastes raw materials (the service life of the plating solution is usually ≤48 hours) and increases production costs, but also aggravates environmental pollution, which does not meet the requirements of green production.

[0007] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a continuous flexible conductive material preparation technology that is short in process, efficient, low in cost, environmentally friendly, and has strong coating adhesion, so as to overcome the pain points of existing technologies in activation process, continuous production, and resource utilization, and promote the industrial application of flexible conductive materials in multiple fields. Summary of the Invention

[0008] To address the shortcomings of the existing technologies, this invention aims to provide a short-process, rapid, efficient, and green preparation apparatus and method for continuous flexible high-conductivity materials.

[0009] This application discloses a preparation apparatus and method for a continuous flexible conductive material. The apparatus includes a continuous flexible material, guide rollers, a winding device, and a conductive coating assembly. The conductive coating assembly includes an adhesion-enhancing device, a powder-applying device, a drying and curing unit, a chemical plating unit, and a post-processing unit arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the continuous flexible material. Each unit has a flexible material conveying channel with collinear centerlines and adjacent interface gaps ≤2mm. After being guided by the guide rollers, the continuous flexible material passes through the flexible material conveying channel and is finally wound up by the winding device. The adhesion-enhancing device is used to form an adhesive liquid layer on the surface of the continuous flexible material. The powder-applying device is used to attach micro / nano metal powder seed sources to the adhesive liquid layer. The drying and curing unit is used to cure the adhesive liquid layer and the micro / nano metal powder seed source layer. The chemical plating unit is used to grow micro / nano metal powder to form a dense conductive layer. The post-processing unit is used for water washing and drying.

[0010] Furthermore, the adhesion enhancement device includes an adhesive liquid storage tank, a valve, an adhesive liquid baffle pipe, a coating roller, and an adhesive liquid recovery tank. The cross-sectional shape of the adhesive liquid baffle pipe is consistent with the cross-sectional shape of the continuous flexible material to be treated, and its size is 3mm-5mm larger than that of the continuous flexible material. The coating roller is located above the adhesive liquid baffle pipe, and the adhesive liquid recovery tank is located below the coating roller.

[0011] Furthermore, the adhesive liquid baffle pipe is connected to the adhesive liquid storage tank via a pipe with a valve, and the distance between the coating roller and the continuous flexible material to be treated is adjustable to control the thickness of the adhesive liquid coating.

[0012] Furthermore, the powder feeding device is located directly above the thickening device and includes a powder storage tank, a powder conveyor, and a powder baffle pipe. The cross-sectional shape of the powder baffle pipe is consistent with the cross-sectional shape of the continuous flexible material to be processed, and its size is 10mm-20mm larger than that of the continuous flexible material. One end of the powder conveyor is connected to the powder storage tank, and the other end is connected to the powder baffle pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the powder conveyor is a powder spraying machine, and the powder baffle pipe is aligned with the outlet of the coating roller of the thickening device, with an alignment gap of ≤2mm.

[0014] Furthermore, the electroless plating unit includes an electroless plating solution storage tank, a high-temperature resistant peristaltic pump, a magnetic filter tank, and a guide channel. The magnetic filter tank is equipped with a magnetic filter mesh assembly, which consists of an upper 100-500 mesh filter wire, a middle layer of neodymium iron boron magnets or ferrite magnets with a magnetic field strength ≥1000 Gauss, and a lower 100-500 mesh filter wire. The outlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank is connected to the inlet of the magnetic filter tank through the guide channel, and the outlet of the magnetic filter tank is connected to the inlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank. The outlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank is connected to the inlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank through the high-temperature resistant peristaltic pump, forming a unidirectional circulation loop.

[0015] Furthermore, the drying temperature range of the drying and curing unit is 100-140℃; the post-treatment unit includes a water washing tank and a drying unit, the water washing tank adopts a spray rinsing structure, and the drying temperature of the drying unit is 120℃.

[0016] This application also discloses a method for preparing a continuous flexible conductive material, including the following steps: S1. Guiding and conveying: After the continuous flexible material is guided by the guide rollers, it is sent into the continuous and aligned flexible material conveying channel. The conveying rollers work together to ensure no deviation. S2. Surface Tackification Modification: An adhesive liquid is applied to the surface of a continuous flexible material using an adhesive device. The thickness of the adhesive liquid coating is controlled by adjusting the distance between the coating roller and the continuous flexible material to be treated, forming a uniform adhesive liquid layer. The adhesive liquid is one or more of the following: acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, fluorocarbon elastic resin, fluorosilicone resin, organosilicon resin, SBS / SIS thermoplastic elastomer solution, dopamine hydrochloride solution, etc. S3. Cultivation of micro-nano metal seed sources: Micro-nano metal powder seed sources are fed into the powder coating device via a powder conveyor, so that the micro-nano metal powder seed sources are evenly adhered to the surface of the adhesive liquid layer to form a metal seed source layer. S4. Curing and molding: The continuous flexible material with the micro-nano metal powder seed source layer is fed into the drying and curing unit and dried and cured at 100-140℃ to form a film of the adhesive liquid and fix the micro-nano metal powder seed source. S5. Metal growth closure: The solidified continuous flexible material is fed into the chemical plating unit. The chemical plating solution is circulated under the drive of a high-temperature peristaltic pump. The micro-nano metal powder can be recovered through a magnetic filter tank and used as a seed source. The temperature of the chemical plating solution is controlled at 80℃ and the pH value is 4-10 to realize the growth closure of the micro-nano metal powder seed source and form a dense conductive layer. S6. Water washing: The continuous flexible material after chemical plating is sent into a water washing tank and the residual plating solution on the surface is removed by spray rinsing. S7. Drying and winding: After being squeezed out of water by rollers, the material is sent to the drying unit and dried at 120°C. It is then wound up by the winding device to obtain a continuous flexible conductive material.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S2, the adhesive solution is prepared by mixing 9 parts by weight of polyphenolic resin, 45 parts by weight of diethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate solvent, 0.02 parts by weight of dispersant 8055, and 0.1 parts by weight of nonionic wetting agent PE100, and stirring at 80 rpm for 300 minutes.

[0018] Furthermore, in step S3, the micro-nano metal powder seed source is nickel powder, cobalt powder, copper powder, gold powder, silver powder, or two or more alloys thereof; in step S5, the recovered micro-nano metal powder can be reused for planting the micro-nano metal seed source in step S3, with a recycling rate of ≥85%.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. Micro-nano metal seed source cultivation: cost reduction, efficiency improvement and environmental protection: Using micro-nano metal powder seed source cultivation to replace traditional precious metal palladium or redox activation not only increases the activation density by 60% and reduces the cost by 35%, but also avoids the chemical pollution caused by precious metal dependence and redox reaction, which is in line with the concept of green production and greatly reduces the burden of subsequent chemical plating.

[0020] 2. Significantly improved coating adhesion: The micro-nano metal powder seed source is firmly embedded in the flexible substrate through the adhesive layer, and then chemically plated to grow into a dense conductive layer. This increases the adhesion between the metal conductive layer and the substrate by 50%. After 1000 bends, the coating does not peel off and the conductivity is stable.

[0021] 3. Green circular design with high resource utilization: The magnetic filter tank can efficiently recover catalyst particles in the plating solution and reuse them for planting metal seed sources, increasing the utilization rate of the plating solution to 90% and extending its service life by 2 times; combined with the adhesive liquid recycling and reuse structure, raw material waste is reduced by 40%, significantly reducing environmental pressure and production costs.

[0022] 4. Strong adaptability to continuous operation and excellent production efficiency: The 7-step integrated continuous process increases production efficiency by more than 40%, and is compatible with various forms of flexible materials such as yarn, fabric, and film. It can form a dense conductive network on a narrow one-dimensional surface, and the product has excellent conductivity (average resistance of conductive yarn is 20.5Ω / cm, and average surface resistance of conductive fabric is 0.1Ω / cm). Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive materials in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 The diagram shows the changes in surface morphology during the processing of conductive yarn in the embodiments of this application (from left to right: original polyester yarn, yarn after liquid coating, yarn after powder coating, and yarn after plating). Figure 3 The diagram shows the changes in surface morphology during the preparation of conductive fabric in the embodiments of this application (from left to right: fabric after powdering, fabric after plating).

[0024] Figure Labels 1-Continuous flexible material, 2-Guide roller, 3-Adhesive recovery tank, 4-1-Front transfer roller, 4-2-Coating roller, 4-3-Rear transfer roller, 5-Adhesive flow deflector, 6-Valve, 7-Adhesive storage tank, 8-1-Drying and curing unit, 8-2-Dryer, 9-Powder storage tank, 10-Powder conveyor, 11-Powder flow deflector, 12-Chemical plating solution storage tank, 13-Magnetic filter tank, 14-Heating tube, 15-High temperature resistant peristaltic pump, 16-Guide channel, 17-Chemical plating tank, 18-Washing tank, 19-Continuous flexible conductive material. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0027] The apparatus and method for preparing continuous flexible conductive materials provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0028] Example 1 The continuous flexible conductive material preparation apparatus provided in this application includes a continuous flexible material 1, a guide roller 2, a winding device, and a conductive coating assembly. The conductive coating assembly includes an adhesion-enhancing device, a powder-applying device, a drying and curing unit 8-1, a chemical plating unit, and a post-processing unit arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the continuous flexible material 1. Each unit has a flexible material conveying channel with collinear center lines and adjacent interface gaps ≤2mm. After being guided by the guide roller 2, the continuous flexible material 1 passes through the flexible material conveying channel and is finally wound up by the winding device. The adhesion-enhancing device is used to form an adhesive liquid layer on the surface of the continuous flexible material 1. The powder-applying device is used to attach the micro-nano metal powder seed source to the adhesive liquid layer to form a micro-nano metal powder seed source layer. The drying and curing unit is used to cure the adhesive liquid layer and the micro-nano metal powder seed source layer. The chemical plating unit is used to grow micro-nano metal powder to form a dense conductive layer. The post-processing unit is used for water washing and drying. In this embodiment of the application, a front transfer roller 4-1 and a rear transfer roller 4-3 are also included to work in conjunction with the guide roller to achieve smooth material transport.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the above structure enables continuous and integrated conductive modification of the continuous flexible material 1. The core advantage lies in the coherent alignment design of the flexible material conveying channels in each unit. Combined with the coordinated conveying of the guide roller 2, the transmission roller 4-1, the coating roller 4-2, and the rear transmission roller 4-3, a material conveying path without deviation is formed throughout the entire process. The continuous flexible material 1 first completes the adhesion of the adhesive liquid layer through the adhesion enhancement device, and then seamlessly connects to the powdering device for planting micro-nano metal powder seed sources. Subsequently, it completes the processing through the drying and curing unit 8-1, the chemical plating unit, and the post-processing unit, avoiding material deviation and bending during multi-process transmission and ensuring that the processing position of each process is accurate and consistent. Meanwhile, the functional units are arranged sequentially from bottom to top, complementing the gravity-assisted effect. The adhesive liquid can spread naturally under gravity and be further processed by the subsequent coating roller 4-2. The metal powder can also adhere more efficiently to the surface of the liquid-laden material conveyed below under the coordination of airflow. The overall structure is compact and the process is smoothly connected, solving the problems of dispersed processing units, easy material conveying deviation, and poor process coordination in traditional devices. This lays a structural foundation for subsequent precise coating and stable molding. In addition, the bottom of the adhesive unit is equipped with an adhesive liquid recovery tank 3, which can collect excess adhesive liquid, further avoiding raw material waste and environmental pollution.

[0030] Example 2 In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, the adhesion enhancement device includes an adhesive liquid storage tank 7, a valve 6, an adhesive liquid baffle pipe 5, a coating roller 4-2, and an adhesive liquid recovery tank 3. The cross-sectional shape of the adhesive liquid baffle pipe 5 is consistent with the cross-sectional shape of the continuous flexible material 1 to be treated, and its size is 3mm-5mm larger than that of the continuous flexible material 1. The coating roller 4-2 is located above the adhesive liquid baffle pipe 5, and the adhesive liquid recovery tank 3 is located below the coating roller 4-2.

[0031] In this embodiment, the adhesive liquid baffle pipe 5 and the adhesive liquid storage tank 7 are connected by a pipe with a valve 6. The distance between the coating roller 4-2 and the continuous flexible material 1 to be treated is adjustable to control the thickness of the adhesive liquid coating.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the above structure achieves precise and uniform adhesion and efficient recovery of the adhesive liquid layer. The adaptive design of the adhesive liquid baffle tube 5 and the continuous flexible material 1 ensures that the material passes smoothly through the baffle tube 5, avoiding friction and scratches between the material and the tube wall due to channel misalignment. The valve 6 can flexibly adjust the liquid supply rate according to the material conveying speed, adapting to the adhesion requirements of different materials and preventing excessive accumulation or insufficient adhesion of the adhesive liquid. By adjusting the distance between the coating roller 4-2 and the continuous flexible material 1, the thickness of the adhesive liquid coating can be precisely controlled, forming a uniform adhesive liquid layer in conjunction with the initial coating of the adhesive liquid baffle tube 5. The bottom adhesive liquid recovery tank 3 can quickly collect material drips and excess adhesive liquid remaining on the inner wall of the adhesive liquid baffle tube 5, providing a complete structural support for recycling and solving the core pain points of traditional liquid feeding devices: uneven liquid layer, uncontrolled liquid supply, and raw material waste.

[0033] Example 3 In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, the powder application device is located directly above the thickening device and includes a powder storage tank 9, a powder conveyor 10, and a powder baffle pipe 11. The cross-sectional shape of the powder baffle pipe 11 is consistent with the cross-sectional shape of the continuous flexible material 1 to be processed, and its size is 10mm-20mm larger than that of the continuous flexible material 1. One end of the powder conveyor 10 is connected to the powder storage tank 9, and the other end is connected to the powder baffle pipe 11.

[0034] In this embodiment, the powder conveyor 10 is a powder spraying machine, and the powder deflector 11 is aligned with the outlet of the coating roller 4-2 of the thickening device.

[0035] In this embodiment, the electroless plating unit includes an electroless plating solution storage tank 12, a high-temperature resistant peristaltic pump 15, a magnetic filter tank 13, a flow guide 16, and an electroless plating tank 17. The magnetic filter tank 13 is equipped with a magnetic filter mesh assembly, which consists of an upper 100-500 mesh filter wire, a middle strong magnetic magnet, and a lower 100-500 mesh filter wire. The electroless plating solution storage tank 12 is connected to the magnetic filter tank 13 through the flow guide 16, and the magnetic filter tank 13 is connected to the electroless plating solution storage tank 12. The electroless plating solution storage tank 12 is connected to the electroless plating tank 17 through the high-temperature resistant peristaltic pump 15.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, the above structure constructs an integrated circular system of "seed planting - seed growth - recycling for seed use," effectively solving the problems of low activation efficiency and easy decomposition of plating solution in traditional chemical plating. The powder baffle 11 of the powder feeding device provides sufficient space for planting micro-nano metal powder seed sources, while greatly reducing the escape of metal seed sources. The powder spraying machine can evenly disperse the micro-nano metal powder seed sources and adhere them to the adhesive liquid layer on the material surface, forming a high-density micro-nano metal powder seed source layer, replacing the traditional precious metal activation process. In the chemical plating unit, the high-temperature peristaltic pump 15 drives the plating solution to circulate between the chemical plating solution storage tank 12 and the chemical plating tank 17, so that the temperature and pH value of the plating solution are evenly distributed, avoiding the problems of loose and uneven plating layer caused by static plating. The filter screen group in the magnetic filter tank 13 can efficiently intercept the micro-nano metal powder seed sources in the plating solution, which can be recycled and reused for planting micro-nano metal powder seed sources, improving resource utilization and avoiding plating solution decomposition caused by catalyst particles, thus extending the service life of the plating solution. Meanwhile, the coherent alignment design of the powder coating device and the adhesive enhancement device ensures that the material with the adhesive liquid layer enters the powder coating area accurately. The connection layout between the chemical plating tank 17 and the powder coating device enables the rapid growth of micro-nano metal powder seeds on the surface of flexible materials, further improving production efficiency.

[0037] Example 4 In this embodiment, in addition to the structural features of the aforementioned embodiments, the drying and curing unit 8-1 is a non-contact infrared dryer with a drying temperature range of 100-140℃; the post-processing unit includes a water washing tank 18 and a dryer 8-2, the water washing tank 18 adopts a spray rinsing structure, and the drying temperature of the dryer 8-2 is 120℃.

[0038] In this embodiment, the inlet and outlet of the drying and curing unit 8-1 are aligned with the outlet of the powder application device to avoid material displacement during the curing process; the dryer 8-2 is aligned with the outlet of the washing tank 18.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the above structure achieves stable curing of the adhesive liquid layer and efficient post-treatment of the plated material. The non-contact infrared drying and curing unit 8-1 can precisely control the temperature within the range of 100-140℃, avoiding damage to flexible materials caused by direct high-temperature contact, while ensuring rapid film formation of the adhesive liquid and firmly fixing the micro-nano metal powder seed source to the material surface; the spray-type water washing tank 18 can thoroughly rinse away residual plating liquid on the material surface, preventing residual plating liquid from affecting the product's conductivity and stability; the 120℃ dryer 8-2 can quickly remove moisture from the material surface without damaging the formed conductive plating layer. The coherent alignment design of each unit ensures smooth material transport, further improving production efficiency and product consistency.

[0040] Example 5 This embodiment relates to the preparation of a conductive yarn, which comprises a polyester yarn substrate, an adhesive liquid layer, a nickel powder seed source layer, and a chemically plated nickel layer. The specific preparation process is as follows: Material preparation: (1) Yarn: Polyester yarn (linear density 150D) is selected as the continuous flexible material 1. The polyester yarn is prepared according to Figure 1 The technical route is connected; (2) Micro-nano metal powder seed source: high-purity ultrafine nickel powder (particle size 3-7μm), add nickel powder into the powder storage tank 9; (3) Adhesive liquid formulation and preparation: the adhesive liquid formulation is 9 parts polyphenol oxy resin PKHH, 45 parts diethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate solvent DCAC, 0.02 parts dispersant 8055, 0.1 parts nonionic wetting agent PE100; when preparing, pour into the planetary vacuum mixer according to the proportion, stir at 80 rpm for 300 min, and after preparation, transfer to the adhesive liquid storage tank 7.

[0041] Surface thickening modification: The adhesive liquid is injected into the adhesive liquid baffle pipe 5 through valve 6. Valve 6 is adjusted to match the outflow speed of the adhesive liquid with the yarn conveying speed (1m / min). When the yarn passes through the baffle pipe, the surface is initially coated with adhesive liquid. The gap between the coating rollers 4-2 is adjusted to coat the adhesive liquid into a uniform coating with a thickness of 5-8μm. Excess adhesive liquid that is not adhered flows into the recovery tank 3 and can be reintroduced into the adhesive liquid storage tank 7 for reuse.

[0042] Micro-nano metal seed source planting: Turn on the powder conveyor 10 (which can be a powder sprayer, conveyor belt conveyor, screw powder feeder, etc., preferably a powder sprayer) and feed nickel powder into the powder baffle pipe 11 at a rate of 50g / h, so that the nickel powder is evenly adhered to the adhesive liquid layer on the surface of the yarn (by adjusting the speed of the powder conveyor, the powder input amount is consistent with the adhesion amount on the surface of the flexible material), forming a nickel powder seed source layer.

[0043] Curing and molding: The yarn with the nickel powder seed source is fed upward into the drying and curing unit 8-1, and dried at 130°C for 3 minutes to form a film of adhesive liquid and firmly bond the nickel powder seed source to the surface of the yarn.

[0044] Growth of nickel powder seed source: (1) Chemical nickel plating solution formula and process conditions: nickel sulfate 27.5g / L, sodium hypophosphite 22.5g / L, sodium citrate 5g / L, anhydrous sodium acetate 5g / L, pH value 4-5, temperature 80℃; (2) Plating solution preparation: dissolve each component separately, stir and mix in the order of "nickel sulfate solution → sodium citrate solution → sodium hypophosphite solution", adjust the pH value to qualified with ammonia water and then filter; (3) Plating: transfer the plating solution into the chemical plating solution storage tank 12 and heat it to 80℃, start the high temperature peristaltic pump 15 to circulate the plating solution, send the yarn into the chemical plating tank 17 for plating for 30 minutes; the plating solution flows into the magnetic filter tank 13 through the guide channel 16, the nickel powder seed source is intercepted and recycled as nano nickel powder seed source, and the purified plating solution is heated to 80℃ through the heating tube 14 for recycling.

[0045] Water washing: Pour clean water into the water washing tank 18 and turn on the spray device to rinse off the residual plating solution on the yarn surface.

[0046] Drying and winding: Set the temperature of dryer 8-2 to 120℃, dry the washed yarn for 2 minutes, and finally obtain continuous flexible conductive material 19 and wind it up by winding device.

[0047] The conductive yarn produced is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the following changes can be seen from left to right: the original polyester yarn is fluffy and has large gaps between the yarns; after liquid coating, the yarn surface is covered by an adhesive liquid layer and the gaps are reduced; after powder coating, the nickel powder seed source on the yarn surface is evenly distributed but there are gaps; after plating, the nickel layer on the yarn surface is dense and fills the gaps to form a conductive network.

[0048] Example 6 This embodiment relates to the preparation of a conductive fabric, which comprises a polyester fabric substrate, an adhesive liquid layer, a nickel powder seed source layer, and a chemically plated copper-nickel alloy layer. The specific preparation process is as follows: Material preparation: (1) Fabric: Polyester fabric is selected as the continuous flexible material 1, according to Figure 1 Technical route connection; (2) Micro-nano metal powder seed source: high-purity ultrafine nickel powder (particle size 3-7μm), added to powder storage tank 9; (3) Adhesive liquid: the formula and preparation method are the same as in Example 5.

[0049] Surface thickening modification: The adhesive liquid is injected into the adhesive liquid baffle pipe 5 through valve 6, and the gap between coating rollers 4-2 is adjusted to control the thickness of the adhesive liquid layer on the fabric surface at 8-10μm. Excess adhesive liquid is collected and reused by adhesive liquid recovery tank 3.

[0050] Micro-nano metal seed source cultivation: Turn on the powder conveyor 10 and feed nickel powder at a rate of 80g / h, so that it is evenly adhered to the adhesive liquid layer on the fabric surface to form a nickel powder seed source layer.

[0051] Curing and molding: The fabric with the nickel powder seed source is put into the drying and curing unit 8-1 and dried at 120°C for 4 minutes to make the adhesive liquid form a film to fix the nickel powder seed source.

[0052] Growth of copper-nickel alloy layer: (1) Plating solution formula and process conditions: nickel sulfate 25.8g / L, copper sulfate 2.85g / L, sodium hypophosphite 21.2g / L, sodium citrate 51.6g / L, pH value 10, temperature 80℃; (2) Plating solution preparation: dissolve each component separately, mix nickel sulfate, copper sulfate and sodium citrate solution in sequence, add sodium hypophosphite solution and stir, adjust pH value with NaOH to qualified and then filter; (3) Plating: transfer the plating solution into chemical plating solution storage tank 12 and heat it to 80℃, start the high temperature peristaltic pump 15 to circulate the plating solution, send the fabric into chemical plating tank 17 for plating for 35 minutes.

[0053] Water washing: Turn on the water washing tank 18 spray device to rinse the residual plating solution on the fabric surface.

[0054] Drying and winding: Set the temperature of the dryer 8-2 to 120℃, dry for 3 minutes to obtain a continuous flexible conductive material 19, and then wind it up by the winding device.

[0055] Conductive fabrics such as Figure 3 As shown, the following changes can be seen from left to right: after powdering, the nickel powder seed source is evenly distributed on the fabric surface but does not form a continuous conductive network; after plating, a uniform and dense copper-nickel alloy growth layer is formed on the fabric surface and constitutes a continuous conductive network.

[0056] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0057] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing a continuous flexible conductive material, comprising a continuous flexible material, guide rollers, a winding device, and a conductive coating assembly, characterized in that, The conductive coating assembly includes an adhesion-enhancing device, a powder-applying device, a drying and curing unit, a chemical plating unit, and a post-processing unit arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the continuous flexible material. Each unit has a flexible material conveying channel with collinear centerlines and adjacent interface gaps ≤2mm. The continuous flexible material is guided by guide rollers, passes through the flexible material conveying channel, and is finally wound up by a winding device. The adhesion-enhancing device is used to form an adhesive liquid layer on the surface of the continuous flexible material. The powder-applying device is used to attach the micro / nano metal powder seed source to the adhesive liquid layer. The drying and curing unit is used to cure the adhesive liquid layer and the micro / nano metal powder seed source layer. The chemical plating unit is used to grow micro / nano metal powder to form a dense conductive layer. The post-processing unit is used for water washing and drying.

2. The apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adhesion enhancement device includes an adhesive liquid storage tank, a valve, an adhesive liquid baffle pipe, a coating roller, and an adhesive liquid recovery tank. The cross-sectional shape of the adhesive liquid baffle pipe is consistent with the cross-sectional shape of the continuous flexible material to be treated, and its size is 3mm-5mm larger than that of the continuous flexible material. The coating roller is located above the adhesive liquid baffle pipe, and the adhesive liquid recovery tank is located below the coating roller.

3. The apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The adhesive liquid baffle pipe is connected to the adhesive liquid storage tank via a pipe with a valve. The distance between the coating roller and the continuous flexible material to be treated is adjustable to control the thickness of the adhesive liquid coating.

4. The apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The powder feeding device is located directly above the thickening device and includes a powder storage tank, a powder conveyor, and a powder baffle pipe. The cross-sectional shape of the powder baffle pipe is consistent with the cross-sectional shape of the continuous flexible material to be processed, and its size is 10mm-20mm larger than that of the continuous flexible material. One end of the powder conveyor is connected to the powder storage tank, and the other end is connected to the powder baffle pipe.

5. The apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 4, characterized in that, The powder conveyor is a powder spraying machine, and the powder baffle pipe is aligned with the coating roller outlet of the thickening device, with an alignment gap of ≤2mm.

6. The apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electroless plating unit includes an electroless plating solution storage tank, a high-temperature resistant peristaltic pump, a magnetic filter tank, and a flow guide channel. The magnetic filter tank is equipped with a magnetic filter mesh assembly, which consists of an upper 100-500 mesh filter wire, a middle layer of neodymium iron boron magnets or ferrite magnets with a magnetic field strength ≥1000 Gauss, and a lower 100-500 mesh filter wire. The outlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank is connected to the inlet of the magnetic filter tank through the flow guide channel. The outlet of the magnetic filter tank is connected to the inlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank. The outlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank is connected to the inlet of the electroless plating solution storage tank through the high-temperature resistant peristaltic pump, forming a unidirectional circulation loop.

7. The apparatus for preparing continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying temperature range of the drying and curing unit is 100-140℃; the post-processing unit includes a water washing tank and a drying unit, the water washing tank adopts a spray rinsing structure, and the drying temperature of the drying unit is 120℃.

8. A method for preparing a continuous flexible conductive material, suitable for the apparatus for preparing the continuous flexible conductive material according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Guiding and conveying: After the continuous flexible material is guided by the guide rollers, it is sent into the continuous and aligned flexible material conveying channel. The conveying rollers work together to ensure no deviation. S2. Surface Tackification Modification: An adhesive liquid is applied to the surface of a continuous flexible material using an adhesive device. The thickness of the adhesive liquid coating is controlled by adjusting the distance between the coating roller and the continuous flexible material to be treated, forming a uniform adhesive liquid layer. The adhesive liquid is one or more of the following: acrylic resin, polyurethane resin, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, fluorocarbon elastic resin, fluorosilicone resin, organosilicon resin, SBS / SIS thermoplastic elastomer solution, dopamine hydrochloride solution, etc. S3. Planting of micro-nano metal seed sources: Micro-nano metal powder seed sources are fed into the powder coating device via a powder conveyor, so that the micro-nano metal powder seed sources are evenly adhered to the surface of the adhesive liquid layer to form a metal seed source layer. S4. Curing and molding: The continuous flexible material with the micro-nano metal powder seed source layer is fed into the drying and curing unit and dried and cured at 100-140℃ to form a film of the adhesive liquid and fix the micro-nano metal powder seed source. S5. Metal growth closure: The solidified continuous flexible material is fed into the chemical plating unit. The chemical plating solution is circulated under the drive of a high-temperature peristaltic pump. The micro-nano metal powder can be recovered through a magnetic filter tank and used as a seed source. The temperature of the chemical plating solution is controlled at 80℃ and the pH value is 4-10 to realize the growth closure of the micro-nano metal powder seed source and form a dense conductive layer. S6. Water washing: The continuous flexible material after chemical plating is sent into a water washing tank and the residual plating solution on the surface is removed by spray rinsing. S7. Drying and winding: After being squeezed out of water by rollers, the material is sent to the drying unit and dried at 120°C. It is then wound up by the winding device to obtain a continuous flexible conductive material.

9. The method for preparing a continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S2, the adhesive solution is prepared by mixing 9 parts by weight of polyphenolic resin, 45 parts by weight of diethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate solvent, 0.02 parts by weight of dispersant 8055, and 0.1 parts by weight of nonionic wetting agent PE100, and stirring at 80 rpm for 300 minutes.

10. The method for preparing a continuous flexible conductive material according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step S3, the micro-nano metal powder seed source is nickel powder, cobalt powder, copper powder, gold powder, silver powder, and two or more of their alloys; in step S5, the recovered micro-nano metal powder can be reused for planting the micro-nano metal seed source in step S3, with a recovery rate of ≥85%.

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