Continuous process for the sequential coating of polyester filaments with copper and silver

Abstract

Abstract A method of continuously sequentially coating polyester with copper and silver which utilizes as a key step in the process the use of a wetter solution containing alcohol, a detergent and an ethylene oxide and propylene oxide copolymer surfactant. The filaments are in the form of multi-filament tows, roving, woven tape or fabric and the steps involve immersing the filaments in a sodium hydroxide trisodium phosphate cleaning solution, followed by a water rinse and the immersion in the wetter solution, followed by water rinse and then followed by an etch in hydrogen peroxide, followed by a commercial palladium chloride/stannous chloride catalytic activator, followed by a hydrochloric acid immersion, followed by commercial autocatalytic copper plating as a first copper plating step, followed by a subsequent copper plating step from a copper cyanide bath, followed by a conventional silver plating step, with appropriate water rinses after each of the plating steps, and finally with an alcohol rinse and drying.

Inventors

• 👤 Ralph F. Orban

Bibliographic Details