Method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate

Abstract

A method for applying a semi-dry electroplating method on a surface of plastic substrate is related to an electroplating method of plastic. which realizes the surface metallization of plastic materials, simplifies the electroplating procedure, dramatically reduces the amount of waste water, reduces the pollution to environment and expands electroplatable range of plastic substrates, is provided. Water-free cleaning and dust removal are conducted to a plastic substrate; a first-time activated treatment is conducted to the surface of the plastic substrate; a PVD plating metallic base layer, an alloy transition layer and a metallic electrical conductive layer are applied in turn on it, ultrasonic water washing and a second-time activated treatment are conducted on the treated plastic substrate; the treated plastic substrate is directly electroplated with acid copper or is moved to a nickel plating bath, and then complete the final surface treatment according to the actual process requirements.

1 . A method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate, characterized in that the method comprises following steps including:
 (a) conducting water-free cleaning and dust removal to a plastic substrate;   (b) conducting a first-time activated treatment to the surface of the plastic substrate;   (c) applying a PVD plating metallic base layer, an alloy transition layer and a metallic electrical conductive layer in turn on the activated-treated surface of the plastic substrate;   (d) conducting ultrasonic water washing and a second-time activated treatment on the plastic substrate treated in the step (c);   (e) directly electroplating the plastic substrate treated in the step (d) with acid copper or moving it to a nickel plating bath to conduct nickel electroplating;   (f) moving the plastic substrate treated in the step (e) into a chromium plating bath to conduct final chromium electroplating or transferring it to a PVD oven to conduct deposition of chromium layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (a), said plastic substrate uses a plastic substrate produced by injection molding or extrusion molding; said plastic substrate uses engineering-plastics, glass fibers or mineral-powder reinforcing plastics; said engineering-plastics is selected from one of ABS, PC, PC/ABS, PA6, PETG, PBT, PA66, TPU, TPU/ABS; said glass fiber reinforcing plastics is selected from one of PA6+glass fiber, PBT+glass fiber, PC+glass fiber, PA66+glass fiber, PP+glass fiber; said mineral-powder reinforcing plastics is selected from one of PA6+mineral powder, PP+mineral powder. 
     
     
         3 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (a), said water-free cleaning uses the following methods: (a1) electrostatic cleaning, (a2) anhydrous alcohol wipe, (a3) a using ion-source glow cleaning or bias glow cleaning in a PVD oven, (a4) corona treatment, (a5) washing with water first to remove oil then drying if the product surface is severely contaminated with greasy dirt. 
     
     
         4 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (b), said first-time activated treatment uses following methods: (b1) plasma glow modification using ion-source glow or bias glow mode to conduct the activated treatment, (b2) corona activated treatment. 
     
     
         5 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (c), said metallic base layer is metallic base layer or alloy base layer using chromium, titanium, aluminum, nickel, iron, zirconium. 
     
     
         6 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (c), said metallic base layer uses arc ion plating or magnetron sputter plating to produce PVD base layer; said alloy transition layer is an alloy layer with at least two metals selected from chromium, titanium, aluminum, nickel, iron, zirconium, copper and is produced by arc ion plating or magnetron sputter plating. 
     
     
         7 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in that in the step (c), said metallic electrically conductive layer is a metallic electrically conductive layer of copper, nickel; said metallic electrically conductive layer uses arc ion plating or magnetron sputter plating to produce the PVD base layer. 
     
     
         8 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (d), said ultrasonic water washing comprises transferring the plastic substrate treated in the step (c) into water galvanization line to conduct the ultrasonic water washing. 
     
     
         9 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (d), activating solution used in said second-time activated treatment uses sulfuric acid solution. 
     
     
         10 . The method for applying semi-dry electroplating method on surface of plastic substrate as claimed in  claim 1 , characterized in that in the step (e), if the surface of the plastic substrate is not flat, electroplating starts from plating acid copper; said nickel electroplating uses at least one of semi-bright nickel, fully-bright nickel, microporous nickel; and if the surface of the plastic substrate is flat, electroplating directly starts from electroplating a semi-bright nickel layer, then electroplating a fully-bright nickel layer or a microporous nickel layer.