Metallization of Plastics by Electroless Plating

Abstract

Of the available liquid state metallization processes for plastics, electroless process has gained remarkable importance in the last 20 years, even though, the administrator of the invention from NBS Dr. Blum did not anticipate any tremendous commercial use for this process [1]. However, the following statements from P&SF report [2] that “computer memory devices represent a growing market for electroless nickel plating.... The US government has saved the public several million dollars for the past few years by using electroless nickel.... Electroless copper baths without formaldehyde may be the wave of the future in circuit board plating” show that this anticipation was completely proved to be wrong. In fact plating of plastics has become an important segment of the metal finishing industry in US [3] and in many other developed and developing countries. Shipley [4] predicts that commercial usage of electroless plating will grow quite rapidly during the next 10 years (since 1984). Applications will increase in number as design engineers and advanced engineering groups learn more about the capabilities and advantages of electrolessly plated metals and alloys.