FORMING PLASTIC PARTS HAVING SURFACES RECEPTIVE TO ADHERENT COATINGS
First Claim
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the said anodically treated aluminum foil is stripped from the laminate by treating it for about 2 to about 30 minutes at a temperature of about 80* to about 180* F. with an aqueous solution of a material selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Plastic parts are formed against an anodically treated aluminum surface by molding, laminating, etc., whereby the surface of the formed part after removal of or separation from the aluminum has a high-energy level and is receptive to adherent coatings of paint or metal plate. In particular, in addition to preparing plastic surfaces for acceptance and adhesion of paints, inks or the like, printed circuit boards and other metal-plated plastic substrates are prepared by first bonding anodically treated aluminum foil to a plastic substrate to provide a sacrificial cladding on the substrate, then stripping the aluminum chemically from the substrate, catalyzing the stripped surface and depositing a conductor metal plate thereon by electroless and/or electrolytic deposition, after application of a resist pattern of the desired circuit in the case of printed circuit boards.
41 Citations
11 Claims
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2. The method of claim 1 wherein the said anodically treated aluminum foil is stripped from the laminate by treating it for about 2 to about 30 minutes at a temperature of about 80* to about 180* F. with an aqueous solution of a material selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.
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3. The method of claim 1 wherein the said aluminum foil is anodically treated in an electrolytic bath containing about 10 to about 60 weight percent of phosphoric acid for about 1 to about 30 minutes at a current density of from about 10 to about 75 a.s.f.
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4. The method of claim 1 wherein the said resin is an epoxy resin.
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5. The method of claim 1 wherein the resin is a phenolic resin.
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6. The method of claim 1 wherein the said substrate is a reinforced thermoset resin substrate.
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7. The method of claim 1 wherein the said substrate is reinforced with glass fiber.
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8. The method of claim 1 wherein the board is heated to approximately 220* F. for 30 minutes.
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9. The method of claim 1 wherein the board is heated after both the catalyzing and plating steps.
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10. The method of claim 1 which comprises, in the sequence of steps immediately following catalyzation, electrolessly plating an initial thin copper or nickel deposit over the whole of said reexposed substrate surface, superimposing thereon a masking resist in a pattern to provide a configuration of the desired circuit, drying and baking the substrate, electroplating said substrate with additional conductor metal to build up a desired total thickness in the area of said desired circuit configuration, applying a metallic resist to the exposed conductor metal from a solution of the metallic resist, stripping the masking resist from the noncircuit portion of the surface, etching away all of the initial thin electroless copper or nickel deposit of said noncircuit portion, stripping the metallic resist from selected portions of the conductor circuit, electrolessly or electrolytically plating a protective metal of the class of gold, rhodium and nickel on said conductor circuit, and baking the completed circuit board.
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11. The method of claim 1 which comprises, in the sequence of steps immediately following catalyzation, applying a masking resist pattern in the configuration of the desired circuit to be printed on said board, drying and baking the board, reactivating the exposed circuit area by contacting it with dilute acid solution, electrolessly plating said exposed circuit area with at least one conductive metal to a desired thickness, drying and baking the circuit board, stripping the masking resist from the noncircuit area of the surface, and baking the completed circuit board.
Specification