The Influence of Etching Time on the Surface Morphology of Electroless Nickel Plated Acrylic Resins Microsphere

Abstract

The metallization of polymer microsphere has attracted attention in recent years due to its wide range of technological applications. In this study, chemical etching with concentrated sulfuric acid and potassium dichromate bichrome (K2Cr2O7) was used to prepare acrylic resin microspheres’ surfaces for high polymer/metal adhesion. Meanwhile, the influence of etching time and temperature on the surface morphology of electroless nickel plated acrylic resin microsphere was investigated. The optimal etching process conditions were identified in this test as follows: etching temperature of 70°C and etching time of 60 ~ 90min. Specular reflection FTIR and scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe the morphology of the nickel plated films and the Ni/polymer interfacial structures. As the results shown, the effect of etching process conditions on the coating thickness and the surface topography of the film was obviously.