Method of making a metallized plastic article

• US 5,885,497 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Maas, Christianus Johannes Jacobus, de Jong, Robertus Eduard, Fontana, Luca Pietro, Grimm, Michael Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund H.
• Application Number:
  US08/950,307
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 264/81, 264/129, 264/250, 264/259, 264/510, 264/DIG. 78, 427/404, 427/409, 427/250
• US Class Current: 264/129
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2033/04 Polymers of esters
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 63/64 Polyesters containing both carboxylic ester groups and carbonate groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/005 Polyester-carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/20 on organic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/78 Processes of molding using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31507 Of polycarbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31681 Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.]

Abstract

It is possible to manufacture articles out of thermoplastic materials and to metallize the articles at their surface. In this way one can manufacture reflectors and similar articles. Most thermoplastic materials require processing steps prior to the metallization like application of primers, chemical etching and the like. The invention is based on the discovery that a certain type of materials can be metallized without any extra processing steps. The materials involved are polyestercarbonates or blends of polyestercarbonates and polycarbonate. This is quite surprising since polycarbonates can not be metallized in good quality without extra processing steps prior to the metallization step.

Claims

1. A method for making a metallized thermoplastic article comprising:

forming a shaped article from a composition consisting essentially of a polyestercarbonate or a blend of an aromatic polycarbonate and a polyestercarbonate wherein the composition contains a minimum content of ester bonds of 10 mole % calculated with respect to the total of ester bonds and carbonate bonds; and

applying directly to the surface of the shaped article a layer of metal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming is by injection molding.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the layer of metal is applied by vacuum metallizing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the layer of metal is applied by vacuum metallizing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the layer of metal is applied to the entire surface of the shaped article.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the layer of metal is applied only to a portion of the surface of the shaped article.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal is aluminum.