Electroplate plastic?

What is more commonly done is to electroplate a plastic sheet first and then overpaint with conductive epoxy.

In fact, double-sided copper-plated plastic can have through-holes drilled and flow-soldered, so that you can etch (or cut with a router) patterns on either side. Leaving only contacts on one side allows you to paint the conductive epoxy on that side without direct contact with copper pads or traces on the other.

PD

If it is conductive it will plate. Whether the plating adheres is something different.

One can apply a conductive layer to dielectrics such as Aquadag or conductive paint/epoxy. One can prime the surface with Pd(II) or Sn(II) and electrolessly plate to get things started. One can apply a layer of organic conductor such as polyaniline and dope as necessary. One can vacuum deposit metal....

Hi guys:

Is it possible to electroplate conductive plastic? I'd like to plate a thin layer of metal, like copper or silver, onto a conductive plastic sheet (carbon-filled UHMW). Can it be plated just like any other metal?

If not, are there other options, like electro-depositing?

thin

you can spray it on too. Depends upon use and how conductive you ned it. Microwave reflector and horn antennas are made this way all the time.

If it's a bit conductive, they'd probably plate copper onto it first, then whatever else you'd like on top. Perhaps with a barrier metal inbetween, depending on the metals.

Vaccum deposition can be done roll-to-roll in a big vacuum chamber. There's also sputtering.

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

I would have thought so, just like any other cathode. Whether the resulting film will stick to the plastic will depend on the surface.

When I was a kid, a thousand years ago, I had a book about making model trains that recommended making the bodies of streamliners by carving them out of candlewax, then covering the wax with graphite, plating over the lot and then melting the wax out. I never tried it, but the photos looked good.

Paul Burke

thin

The short answer is yes but the process is slightly different to plating metals.

Investigate the companies that plate plastic for EMC screening...

Example companies in the UK..

If you just want to experiment... You can buy conductive spray paint to do a similar job.

plate a thin

sheet

Yes, if you know what you are doing.

What might the difference be?

Franz

Define conductive ?

There are tricks to electroplate a metal (usually copper in sulfuric) onto surfaces that have low conductivity. A unit square surface conductivity below 10 kohms can be plated without too much trouble.

Adam