Improved adhesion of polymeric materials to metal surfaces

• Main Authors: D.L. WHITNEY JR, G.S. BOKISA, C.V. BISHOP
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.12.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; METALLURGY; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLICMATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASSC23 AND AT LEAST ONEPROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25; NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRINTED CIRCUITS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; TRANSPORTING

The present invention relates to a process for treating a metal substrate to improve adhesion of polymeric materials thereto, comprising the steps ofintergranular etching a surface of the metal substrate; andapplying an immersion plated metal to the intergranular etched surface by immersing the surface in an immersion plating composition comprising one or more plating metals selected from tin, silver, bismuth, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, indium, palladium, platinum, gold, cadmium, ruthenium, cobalt, gallium and germanium. In one embodiment, the immersion plated metal is tin. In one embodiment, the process further comprises a step of adhering the immersion metal plated surface to a surface of a polymeric non-conductive material. In another embodiment, the polymeric nonconductive material is one or more of PTFE, an epoxy resin, a polyimide, a polycyanate ester, a butadiene terephthalate resin, or mixtures thereof. In one embodiment, the process further comprises a step of applying a silane over the immersion plated metal from an aqueous solution of a silane.