Conductive pigment-coated surfaces

• US 4,485,153 A
• Filed: 04/30/1984
• Issued: 11/27/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: UOP Llc (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Janikowski, Daniel S., Bradley, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lesmes, George F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swisher, Nancy A. B.
• Application Number:
  US06/605,452
• Time in Patent Office: 211 Days
• Field of Search: 427/37, 427/229, 428/688, 428/450, 428/469, 106/1.18, 106/1.19, 106/1.21, 106/1.26, 106/1.28, 420/456, 420/469, 420/528, 420/539
• US Class Current: 428/688
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/24 Electrically-conducting paints conductive materials H01B1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/16 the conductive material comprising metals or alloys

Abstract

Conductive thick film pigment-coated surfaces which possess desirable conductivity and solderability characteristics are formed from an alloy comprising a mixture of a nonnoble conductive metal, a noble metal and at least one oxidizable material. The oxidizable material is present in the alloy in an amount in the range of from about 5% to about 25% by weight, the nonnoble metal in an amount in the range of from about 94% to about 60% by weight and the noble metal in an amount in the range of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of the alloy. The desired product is prepared by admixing a nonnoble metal, an oxidizable material and a noble metal, arc-melting the mixture to form an alloy, grinding the arc-melted alloy to a powdered form, admixing the powder with the carrier binder, depositing said admixture on an inert surface, firing the admixture and surface in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 500° to about 950° C. and fluxing the resultant conductive thick film pigment-coated surface with a zinc-chloride based flux to provide the desired product.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a conductive and solderable pigment-coated thick film surface comprising an alloy of a nonnoble conductive metal, at least one oxidizable material and a noble metal composited on an inert surface which comprises the steps of:

(a) admixing nickel or copper in an amount of from about 60% to about 94% by weight of said alloy, an oxidizable material selected from the group consisting of carbon, boron, silicon, aluminum and combinations thereof in an amount in the range of from about 5% to about 25% by weight of said alloy and a noble metal in an amount in the range of from about 1% to about 15% by weight of said alloy to provide a resultant admixture;

(b) arc-melting said admixture formed in step (a) in an inert atmosphere to form an alloy of said components;

(c) grinding said arc-melted alloy of step (b) to a powdered form;

(d) admixing said powder of step (c) with a carrier binder;

(e) depositing said admixture of step (d) on an inert surface;

(f) firing said admixture and surface of step (e) in an oxygen-containing atmosphere at a temperature in the range of from about 500°

to about 950°

C.;

(g) fluxing the resultant conductive pigment-coated surface with a zinc chloride based flux to provide a solderable conductive pigment-coated surface and recovering said surface.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 in which said nonnoble metal is nickel.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1 in which said nonnoble metal is copper.

4. The process as set forth in claim 1 in which said noble metal is silver.

5. The process as set forth in claim 1 in which said noble metal is gold.

6. The process as set forth in claim 1 in which said noble metal is palladium.

7. A conductive and solderable pigment-coated thick film surface prepared by the process of claim 1.