ABSTRACT
T he c h e m ic a l m e ta l l i z a t io n 1 is a te c h n iq u e th a t a llo w s c o v e r in g o f p la s t ic s w ith a m e ta l l ic la y e r , u s in g n o rm a lly a p ro c e s s in v o lv in g tw o s te p s . T he f i r s t o n e is an e le c t r o le s s m e ta l l iz a t io n , w h e re m e ta l l ic io n s (C u io n s , fo r e x a m p le ) a re r e d u c e d by a r e a c t io n in v o lv in g Sn a to m s c a ta ly s e d by P t, P d o r
A u and a l lo w in g th e fo rm a tio n o f a th in m e ta l l ic la y e r o f C u th a t in c re a s e s th e c o n d u c t iv i ty o f th e p o ly m e r s u r fa c e . In th e sec o n d s te p , th e th ic k n e s s o f th e Cu la y e r is in c re a s e d by e le c t r o p la t in g , and th u s o n e c an o b ta in v e ry g o o d q u a li ty m e ta l l ic f i lm s . T he m e ta l l iz e d p la s t ic s o b ta in e d by th is p ro c e s s p re s e n t s e v e ra l a d v a n ta g e s w h en c o m p a re d w ith th e m e ta l l ic e q u iv a le n ts su ch as l ig h te r w e ig h t an d lo w e r c o s t o f f a b r ic a t io n . A m ong th e s e v e ra l e x is t in g p la s t ic s o n ly A B S (A c r y lo n i t r i le - B u ta d ie n e - S ty r e n e te rp o ly m e r ) c an be m e ta l l iz e d by u s in g th e c h e m ic a l m e ta l l iz a t io n . In th is w o rk w e p re s e n t th e m e ta l l iz a t io n p ro c e s s o n c h e a p e r p o ly m e r , p o ly (v in y l c h o r id e ) (P V C ) u s in g a c o n d u c tiv e p o ly m e r p o ly a n i l in e (P A n i) d is s o lv e d in N - m e th y lp y r r o l id in o n e (N M P ).
