Electroless deposition of metal on 3D-printed polymeric structures

Patent Number: 10,494,721
Issued: 12/3/2019
Official Filing: View the Complete Patent
Abstract: A process for metallizing a three-dimensional-printed polymeric structure includes soaking the three-dimensional-printed polymeric structure in a metal salt solution; transferring the three-dimensional polymeric structure to a solution comprising a first reducing agent; soaking the three-dimensional polymeric structure in a metal plating bath, the metal plating bath comprising a coordinating agent, a palladium or platinum salt, a pH buffer component, and a second reducing agent, to form a metal plated polymeric structure. A metal plated porous structure and an apparatus for improving metallization are also disclosed.
Filed: 8/8/2017
Application Number: 15/671,345
Government Interests: STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.