Metal-coated resin molded article and production method therefor

• US 20070190346A1
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Inventors: IKEGAWA, Naoto
• Application Number:
  US10/591,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20070190346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/458
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0884 Epoxide containing esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/18 Polyesters or polycarbonates according to C08L67/00 - C08L69/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/00 Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain of polyester-amides C08L77/12; of polyester-imides C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0353 consisting of two or more materials, e.g. two or more polymers, polymer + filler, + reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0141 Liquid crystal polymer [LCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]

Abstract

A metal-coated resin molded article is provided, which has improved adhesion between a metal layer and a substrate of a resin composition as well as excellent moldability, heat resistance, electronic and mechanical properties. The resin composition comprises a liquid-crystalline polyester and an epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer. The ethylene copolymer contains 50 to 99.9 wt % of an ethylene unit and 0.1 to 30 wt % of at least one of an unsaturated carboxylic acid glycidyl ester unit and an unsaturated glycidyl ether unit in the molecule thereof. A content of the ethylene copolymer is in a range of 0.1 to 25 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the liquid-crystalline polyester.

Claims

1. A metal-coated resin molded article comprising a substrate made of a resin composition and a metal layer formed on said substrate, wherein said resin composition comprises a liquid-crystalline polyester and an epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer,

said epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer contains 50 to 99.9 wt % of an ethylene unit and 0.1 to 30 wt % of at least one of an unsaturated carboxylic acid glycidyl ester unit and an unsaturated glycidyl ether unit in the molecule thereof, and

a content of said epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer is in a range of 0.1 to 25 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of said liquid-crystalline polyester.

2. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said liquid-crystalline polyester is a reaction product obtained by an ester-exchange and polycondensation reaction of at least one of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid with an acylated compound obtained by acylating a phenolic hydroxyl group of at least one of an aromatic diol and an aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid with a fatty acid anhydride.

3. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said liquid-crystalline polyester is the reaction product obtained by performing the ester-exchange and polycondensation reaction in the presence of an imidazole compound represented by the following chemical formula:

4. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer contains 80 to 95 wt % of the ethylene unit and 5 to 15 wt % of at least one of the unsaturated carboxylic acid glycidyl ester unit and the unsaturated glycidyl ether unit in the molecule thereof.

5. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resin composition contains a fiber-like inorganic filler having a diameter of 6 to 15 μ

m and an aspect ratio of 5 to 50.

6. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resin composition contains 20 to 235 parts by weight of a whisker with respect to 100 parts by weight of said liquid-crystalline polyester.

7. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resin composition contains 10 to 40 parts by weight of a plate-like inorganic filler with respect to 100 parts by weight of said liquid-crystalline polyester.

8. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said metal layer is made of a metal material selected from the group essentially consisting of copper, nickel, gold, aluminum, titanium, molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, tin, lead, brass, Nichrome and an alloy thereof.

9. The metal-coated resin molded article as set forth in claim 1, wherein said metal layer is formed in a circuit pattern.

10. A method of producing a metal-coated resin molded article comprising the steps of

molding a resin composition to obtain a substrate;

and

forming a metal layer on a surface of said substrate,

wherein said resin composition comprises a liquid-crystalline polyester and an epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer, said epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer contains 50 to 99.9 wt % of an ethylene unit and 0. 1 to 30 wt % of at least one of an unsaturated carboxylic acid glycidyl ester unit and an unsaturated glycidyl ether unit in the molecule thereof, and a content of said epoxy-group containing ethylene copolymer is in a range of 0. 1 to 25 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of said liquid-crystalline polyester.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 comprising the step of performing a plasma treatment to the surface of said substrate prior to the formation of said metal layer.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said metal layer is formed by physical vapor deposition.

13. The method as set forth in claim 10 comprising the step of performing a heat treatment to said substrate at a temperature between a lower limit temperature calculated by subtracting 120°

C. from a flow-beginning temperature of said liquid-crystalline polyester, and an upper limit temperature calculated by subtracting 20°

C. from the flow-beginning temperature.

14. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said liquid-crystalline polyester is prepared by an ester-exchange and polycondensation reaction of at least one of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid, with an acylated compound obtained by acylating a phenolic hydroxyl group of at least one of an aromatic diol and an aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid with a fatty acid anhydride.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the ester-exchange and polycondensation reaction is performed in the presence of an imidazole compound represented by the following chemical formula:

16. The method as set forth in claim 10 comprising the step of forming a circuit pattern in said metal layer by laser patterning.