Electroless metal plating of plastics

Patent · Tue Jul 15 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5461596

Krause, L J

The product of an electroless plating process is described for plating at least one main group metal directly on a surface of a polymeric substrate comprising the steps of forming a nonaqueous solution containing a metallic salt of an alkali metal in a positive valence state and at least one main group metal in a negative valence state, the main group metal being selected from the group consisting of Ge, Sn, Pb, As, Sb, Bi, Si and Te, selecting an aromatic polymeric substrate reducible by the solublized salt and resistant to degration during the reaction, and carrying out a redox reaction between the salt in solution and the substrate by contacting the solution with the substrate for a sufficient time to oxidize and deposit the main group metal in elemental form to produce a plated substrate. The product is characterized by the plated metal being directly on the surface of the polymeric substrate and the alkali metal being retained in the plated substrate with the substrate being negatively charged with electrons transferred from the main group metal during the redox reaction.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4600656
• OSTI ID: 5461596
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360401* -- Polymers & Plastics-- Preparation & Fabrication-- (-1987)
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ANTIMONY COMPOUNDS
AROMATICS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
BISMUTH COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DEPOSITION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
GERMANIUM COMPOUNDS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
LEPTONS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PLASTICS
PLATING
POLYMERS
REDOX REACTIONS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SUBSTRATES
SURFACE COATING
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
TIN COMPOUNDS
VALENCE