Composition and method for electroless plating of non-conductive substrates

Abstract

Compositions and methods for coating and plating a non-conductive substrate, the substrate having a surface, comprising coating the surface with a binding solution composition, the binding solution composition comprising between approximately 30% by weight and approximately 70% by weight of a binding solution, between approximately 2% by weight and approximately 10% by weight of carbon black powder, between approximately 25% by weight and approximately 50% by weight of aluminum powder, cleaning the coated surface, and immersing the cleaned, coated surface into a plating bath, the plating bath comprising between approximately 5% by volume and approximately 20% by volume hydrofluoric acid, between approximately 4% by volume and approximately 6% by volume copper sulfate, and water.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for creating a porous surface on a non-conductive substrate, the process comprising: 
 a. coating the surface with a coating composition, the coating composition comprising binding solution, carbon black powder, and aluminum powder;    b. drying the coated surface; and    c. cleaning the coated surface.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the coated surface is air-dried.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the coated surface is oven-dried.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the coated surface is cleaned with an ultrasound cleaner.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the coated surface is cleaned with a cleaner having a pH between approximately 6 and approximately 8.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , further including mixing carbon black powder into a binding solution and then mixing aluminum powder into the mixed carbon-containing binding solution to form the coating composition.