A process for the large scale manufacturing of vertically standing hybrid nanometer-scale structures of different geometries, including fractal architecture made of flexible materials, on a flexible substrate including textiles is disclosed. The nanometer-scale structures increase the surface area of the substrate. The nanometer-scale structures may be coated with materials that are sensitive to various physical parameters or chemicals such as but not limited to temperature, humidity, pressure, atmospheric pressure, electromagnetic signals originating from biological or non-biological sources, volatile gases, and pH. The increased surface area achieved through the disclosed process is intended to improve the sensitivity of the sensors formed by coating of the nanometer-scale structure and substrate with a material which can be used to sense physical parameters and chemicals as listed previously. An embodiment with nanometer-scale structures on a textile substrate coated with a conductive, malleable and bio-compatible sensing material for use as a biopotential measurement electrode is provided.

According to the present disclosure, a method for coating nickel on an organosiloxane polymer is provided. A nickel organosiloxane polymer composite is also provided.

A method for producing a plated part, includes: forming, on a surface of a base member, a catalyst activity inhibiting layer containing a polymer which has at least one of an amide group and an amino group; irradiating with light or heating a part of the surface of the base member on which the catalyst activity inhibiting layer is formed; applying an electroless plating catalyst to the surface of the base member heated or irradiated with the light; and bringing an electroless plating solution into contact with the surface of the base member to which the electroless plating catalyst is applied, to form an electroless plating film at a light-irradiated portion or a heated portion of the surface.

The present disclosure is drawn to 3D printing kits and methods of making 3D printed articles. In one example, a 3D printing kit can include a powder bed material, a fusible fluid, and an activator fluid. The powder bed material can include polymer particles. The fusible fluid can include a radiation absorber. The fusible fluid can be to selectively apply to the powder bed material. The activator fluid can include a non-conductive electroless metal plating activator. The activator fluid can also be to selectively apply to the powder bed material.

A method for manufacturing a wiring board is capable of forming a metal layer included in a wiring layer to have an even thickness. The method includes preparing a conductive first underlayer on a surface of a substrate; a conductive second underlayer on a surface of the first underlayer; and a seed layer on a surface of the second underlayer and containing metal. The method disposes a solid electrolyte membrane between an anode and the seed layer as a cathode; applies voltage between the anode and the first underlayer to form a metal layer on the surface of the seed layer; removes an exposed portion of the second underlayer without the seed layer from the substrate; and removes an exposed portion of the first underlayer without the seed layer from the substrate. The first underlayer is a material having a higher electrical conductivity than that of the second underlayer.

According to the present disclosure, a method for coating nickel on an organosiloxane polymer wherein the said method comprises the steps of; forming a transition metal oxide on the organosiloxane polymer; etching the transition metal oxide with a basic solution; contacting the organosiloxane polymer comprising the etched transition metal oxide with an aqueous solution comprising a positively charged species to attach the positively charged species on the etched transition metal oxide; depositing a metal catalyst on the positively charged species; and treating the metal catalyst with an acidic solution to develop an activated organosiloxane polymer before transferring the activated organosiloxane polymer to a solution comprising nickel and/or nickel derivatives. A nickel organosiloxane composite is provided herein comprising a transition metal oxide layer and a positively charged species attached on the said oxide layer with nickel coated in the said positively charged species.

The present invention relates to a production of electro-conductive traces on the surface of polymeric articles using laser excitation for the areas to be metallised, followed by activation of the laser-treated areas with a metal salt solution, the article is later rinsed in distilled water, and the activated areas are metallised in the chemical plating bath. The aims of the invention are to produce cost-effective conductive traces of the circuits for the application in 3D moulded interconnect devices, to increase the quality of the circuit traces improving the selective metallization process. An irradiation dose and scanning parameters for the surface excitation are chosen experimentally, provided that a negative static charge appears on the surface of the laser-irradiated areas. The chosen parameters ensure that any surface degradation of the polymer is avoided. The activation solution used in the method is aqueous solution consisting of one chosen salt comprising: silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), chrome (Cr), tin (Sn) salt.

A method for producing a plated part, includes: forming, on a surface of a base member, a catalyst activity inhibiting layer containing a polymer which has at least one of an amide group and an amino group; irradiating with light or heating a part of the surface of the base member on which the catalyst activity inhibiting layer is formed; applying an electroless plating catalyst to the surface of the base member heated or irradiated with the light; and bringing an electroless plating solution into contact with the surface of the base member to which the electroless plating catalyst is applied, to form an electroless plating film at a light-irradiated portion or a heated portion of the surface.

The invention refers to a process for metallization of an article having a plastic surface avoiding the metallization of the rack which fixes the article within the plating bath.

A sealing article includes a body and a coating layer disposed on at least one surface of the body. The body comprises a polymeric elastomer such as perfluoroelastomer or fluoroelastomer. The coating layer comprises at least one metal. The sealing article may be a seal, a gasket, an O-ring, a T-ring or any other suitable product. The sealing article is resistant to ultra-violet (UV) light and plasma, and may be used for sealing a semiconductor processing chamber.