SEALING OF PINHOLE IN ELECTROLESS METAL COATING

• Main Authors: GRAY DENNIS MICHAEL, TYSOE STEVEN ALFRED, SORBO FRANCESCO, GIORNI EUGENIO, KOOL LAWRENCE BERNARD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.02.2011
• Subjects: 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; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing an article comprising an electroless metal coating which is substantially free of pinhole imperfections allowing fluid communication between the substance and the environment. SOLUTION: The present invention provides a method for sealing pinholes 30 in an electroless metal coating 20, the method comprising: (a) coating a substrate 10 with an electroless metal coating layer 20 to provide a coated article comprising an electroless metal coating 20 in contact with the surface of the substrate 10, the electroless metal coating 20 being characterized by the presence of pinhole imperfections which allow fluid communication between the substrate 10 and the environment; (b) applying a layer of a curable epoxy sealant 40 over the electroless metal coating layer and filling the pinhole imperfections; (c) curing the curable epoxy sealant 40 to provide a cured epoxy overcoating layer; and (d) removing a substantial portion of the cured epoxy overcoating layer. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT