Abstract
Selective metallization of polymeric materials using the technique known as laser direct structuring (LDS) is intensively developed. In this technique, metallized products can be manufactured by injection molding or by 3D printing process if rapid prototyping is need. Special additives present in the polymer matrix enable direct electroless metallization only on the surface which was laser activated. This paper presents the results of using copper microparticles introduced into the poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS) matrix at various amounts (up to about 5 vol %). ABS was selected due to its good processing and mechanical properties and as one of the most common thermoplastics used in 3D printing. The influence of copper on structural, mechanical, and processing properties as well as on the effects of laser surface activation were determined. Two types of infrared lasers were tested for surface activation: Nd:YAG fiber laser (λ = 1064 nm) and CO2 laser (λ = 10.6 µm). Various irradiation parameters (power, scanning speed, and frequency) were applied to find suitable conditions for laser surface activation and electroless metallization. It was found that the composites tested can be effectively metallized using the Nd:YAG laser, but only in a narrow range of radiation parameters. Activation with CO2 laser failed, regardless of applied irradiation conditions. It resulted from the fact that ablation rate and thickness of modified surface layer for CO2 were lower than for Nd:YAG laser using the same irradiation parameters (power, speed, and frequency of laser beams), thus the laser wavelength was crucial for successful surface activation.
Highlights
Thermoplastic functional composites are of great interest due to the ease of forming 3D products with complex shapes using mass-scale injection molding process or 3D printing process if rapid prototyping is necessary
Materials 2020, 13, 2224 (MID) technology [2,3]. These devices can be perceived as three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs), which allow the optimal use of the installation space due to their three-dimensionality
The PB phase contributes to the toughness of this copolymer even at low temperatures, while nitrile groups from neighboring chains, being polar, attract each other and bind the chains together, making ABS stronger than pure polystyrene
Summary
Thermoplastic functional composites are of great interest due to the ease of forming 3D products with complex shapes using mass-scale injection molding process or 3D printing process if rapid prototyping is necessary. When using conductive filler magnetic, antistatic, or electro-shielding properties of molded parts can be obtained which become more and more important in highly integrated advanced products [1]. Aircraft, medical, and mechatronic devices there is increasing need to integrate mechanical with electric functions by incorporating conductive truck onto the surface of constructional parts. This is realized by molded interconnect devices. Materials 2020, 13, 2224; doi:10.3390/ma13102224 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials (MID) technology [2,3]. These devices can be perceived as three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs), which allow the optimal use of the installation space due to their three-dimensionality
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