Shielding coatings are applied to polymer substrates for selective metallization of the substrates. The shielding coatings include a primer component and a hydrophobic top coat. The primer is first applied to the polymer substrate followed by application of the top coat component. The shielding coating is then selectively etched to form an outline of a desired current pattern. A catalyst is applied to the patterned polymer substrate followed by electroless metal plating in the etched portions. The portions of the polymer substrate which contain the shielding coating inhibit electroless metal plating. The primers contain aromatic heterocyclic compounds and the top coat contains hydrophobic alky organic compounds.

The present invention concerns a method for forming a metal layer for electromagnetic shielding and thermal management of active components, preferably by wet chemical metal plating, using an adhesion promotion layer on the layer of molding compound and forming at least one metal layer on the adhesion promotion layer or forming at least one metal layer on the adhesion promotion layer by wet chemical metal plating processes.

Disclosed are a thermoplastic resin composition, a method of preparing the same, and a molded part manufactured using the same, wherein the thermoplastic resin composition includes a-1) 1 to 30% by weight of a first graft polymer obtained by graft-polymerizing an aromatic vinyl compound and a vinyl cyanide compound onto a conjugated diene rubber having an average particle diameter of 0.05 μm or more and less than 0.2 μm; a-2) 5 to 45% by weight of a second graft polymer obtained by graft-polymerizing an aromatic vinyl compound and a vinyl cyanide compound onto a conjugated diene rubber having an average particle diameter of 0.2 to 0.5 μm; b) 50 to 80% by weight of an aromatic vinyl compound-vinyl cyanide compound copolymer; and c) 1 to 10% by weight of a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester polymer.

It is provided a method for manufacturing a metal coated substrate by forming a metal coating on a surface of a substrate, comprising: immersing the substrate in a palladium/tin colloidal solution; immersing the substrate in an acid solution; carrying out electroless metal plating in order to obtain a continuous film-coated substrate, and subjecting the metal coating to a cryogenic treatment step in order to make it permeable to electromagnetic waves, the cryogenic treatment step being carried out by cooling the substrate with liquid nitrogen. It is also provided a metal coated substrate obtainable by the mentioned method and an article of manufacture made of the metal coated substrate.

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.

A microstructure comprises a plurality of interconnected units wherein the units are formed of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) tubes. The graphene tubes may be formed by photo-initiating the polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form a polymer microlattice, removing unpolymerized monomer, coating the polymer microlattice with a metal, removing the polymer microlattice to leave a metal microlattice, depositing an h-BN precursor on the metal microlattice, converting the h-BN precursor to h-BN, and removing the metal microlattice.

A method for the production of metal-plated articles, including the step of depositing an electrically-conductive metallic layer on a surface of an article comprising a polymer composition comprising by weight: a) 40-60% of a propylene homopolymer, or propylene copolymer containing up to 5% by weight of ethylene and/or another C.sub.4-C.sub.10 α-olefin, and having a melting temperature of 155° C. or higher and/or a fraction soluble in xylene at 25° C. of 10% by weight or less; b) 10-20% of an ethylene-based elastoplastic copolymer, optionally, a copolymer of ethylene with C.sub.4-C.sub.10 α-olefin; c) 2-6% of a styrene block copolymer; d) optionally, up to 3% of a propylene homopolymer having a Melt Flow Rate (230° C./2.16 kg) of 500 g/10 min. or more; e) 15-50% of a filler; and f) optionally, up to 6% of a color pigment.

An example method of coating a substrate involves cleaning the substrate and, after cleaning the substrate, sensitizing the substrate using a sensitizing solution including tin chloride and hydrochloric acid. The method also involves, after sensitizing the substrate, activating the substrate in an activating solution including palladium chloride and hydrochloric acid. Further, the method involves subsequently neutralizing the substrate using a neutralizing solution including ammonium hydroxide. Still further, the method involves, after neutralizing the substrate, depositing an electroless nickel layer on the substrate. The method may then involve depositing an electrolytic nickel layer on top of the electroless nickel layer, and depositing an outer layer of metallic material, ceramic material, polymeric material, or any combination thereof on top of the electrolytic nickel layer.

A sensitizing solution, especially a sensitizing solution for sensitizing surfaces, containing a solution of tin(II) chloride SnCl.sub.2 and distilled water, especially for sensitizing non-conductive surfaces, which further contains glycerine. A method of preparation of the sensitizing solution, especially the method of preparation of the sensitizing solution, according to which the solution of tin(II) chloride SnCl.sub.2 and distilled water is mixed with a reducing agent, which is glycerine.

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.