Effects of catalyst accelerator on electromagnetic shielding in nonelectrolytic Cu-plated fabrics

Abstract

The effects of etching and catalyst accelerating conditions on microstructures of copper films and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) of nonelectrolytic copper-plated fabrics were investigated. Copper films were coated onto polyester fabrics by a conventional nonelectrolytic copper plating process. Comparison of two etchants had the result where uniform deposition of Cu particles in the smaller size was observed using acidic etchant, which provided the better EMI SE than alkaline etchant. We found that KCl was the better catalyst accelerator than commonly used SnCl2. EMI SEs and conductivities of copper-plated fabrics increased as the concentration of KCl increased up to 0.1 mole/l and then decreased with further addition.

Electromagnetic shielding and corrosion resistance of electroless Ni-P and Ni-P-Cu coatings on polymer/carbon fiber composites

“…Because of the high conductivity of copper, so far there have been many papers reporting electroless copper plating , and inclusion of Cu in nickel platings to improve their smoothness , brightness , and corrosion resistance . Although electroless nickel and copper platings on fabrics for EMI shielding have been studied recently, electrical properties, especially the EMI shielding property of ternary Ni‐P‐Cu plated polymer composites and their dependence on Cu content have not been revealed. And there were also a few works about the influence of Cu content on the deposition rate and coating structure, but some inconsistent results were found.…”

Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness and mathematical model of stainless steel composite fabric

“…Dhawan, Koul, Chandra, and Venkatachalam (1998) reported a shielding material based on the technology of in situ grafting of conducting polymers onto fabrics. Kim, Han, Oh, and Na (2000) studied the effects of a catalyst accelerator on EM shielding in non-electrolytic Cu-plated fabrics. Aniołczyk, Koprowska, Mamrot, and Lichawska (2004) and Koprowska, Pietranik, and Stawski (2004) examined new shielding materials that were produced by incorporating polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers modified by metal salts into the stitch-bonded and needled non-wovens.…”

Durable, Washable, and Flexible Conductive PET Fabrics Designed by Fiber Interfacial Molecular Engineering

“…There are various methods to metalize PET surfaces, such as physical vapor deposition, magnetron sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and electroplating plating . But there are no chemical bonds or other tethering force between copper and PET substrate, which fabricated via the above‐declared approaches.…”

“…But there are no chemical bonds or other tethering force between copper and PET substrate, which fabricated via the above‐declared approaches. Nevertheless, the inherently poor adhesion between metal particles and polyester represents a bottleneck in its widespread application under usable conditions, knowledge, and mechanism of the interface of Cu/PET system remain insufficient . Additionally, for PET substrates with particular 3D structure, such as PET fabrics, uniformity and continuity of the deposited metal films by physical vapor deposition and chemical vapor deposition will be affected by the 3D structure as a spatial mask, which will lead to poorly containable electro‐conductivity …”

“…Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is widely used as a commercial flexible substrates because it is cheap and highly flexible with chemical stability. A great interest in the deposition of metallic layers on flexible PET substrate has gradually increased for electrical conductivity such as the chips on flex packaging, smart textiles, health care, and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness . As an electrical connector, long‐term reliability, high endurance, and durability of these composites is inherently related to the adhesion between metals coating and polymer substrates …”