Lightweight metal parts produced by plating polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145755-A1
Application number	US-201414903932-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 9, 2014
Priority date	Jul 9, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods for fabricating lightweight or hollow metal parts are disclosed. First, a polymer is formed into an article of a desired shape or geometry. The outer surface of the article is prepared to receive a catalyst and then the outer surface is activated with the catalyst. A first metallic layer is then plated onto the outer surface to form a structure. Optional additional metallic layers may be applied. The polymer may be removed from the structure before it is subjected to a final heat treatment for alloying purposes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for fabricating a metal part, the method comprising:
forming a polymer into a desired shape having an outer surface; preparing the outer surface to receive a catalyst; activating the outer surface with the catalyst; plating a first metal onto the outer surface and the catalyst to form a first layer to form a structure; and removing the polymeric material.

2 . The method of claim 1 further including depositing a second metal onto the structure.

3 . The method of claim 2 further including depositing a third metal onto the structure.

4 . The method of claim 2 further including alloying the first and second layers.

5 . The method of claim 3 further including alloying the first, second and third layers.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the alloying is a process selected from the group consisting of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding, brazing, diffusion bonding, heat treating, and combinations thereof.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein the alloying is a process selected from the group consisting of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding, brazing, diffusion bonding, heat treating, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the preparing of the outer surface to receive the catalyst includes a process selected from the group consisting of etching, abrading, reactive ion etching, ionic activation, and deposition of a conductive material.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, gold, and combinations thereof.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first metal is selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, gold, silver, graphite and combinations thereof.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst is deposited on the outer surface in an atomic layer thickness.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.1 to about 10 microns.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer is removed by a process selected from the group consisting of melting, etching, application of a strong base, application of a stripping agent and combinations thereof.

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein the forming of the polymer into the desired shape is performed with a process selected from the group consisting of additive manufacturing (AM), injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, extrusion molding, thermoforming, transfer molding, reaction injection molding, and combinations thereof.

15 . A method for fabricating a hollow metal part, the method comprising:
forming a polymer into a desired shape having an outer surface; preparing the outer surface to receive an atomic layer of palladium; activating the outer surface with an atomic layer of palladium; electroless plating nickel onto the outer surface and the palladium to form a first layer having a thickness ranging from about 0.1 to about 10 microns to form a structure; electrolytically plating copper onto the structure; plating another metal onto the structure; and removing the polymeric material.

16 . The method of claim 15 further including alloying the structure.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the alloying is carried out by a process selected from the group consisting of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding, brazing, diffusion bonding, heat treating, and combinations thereof.

18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the preparing of the outer surface to receive the palladium includes a process selected from the group consisting of etching, abrading, ionic activation, deposition of a conductive material and combinations thereof.

19 . The method of claim 15 wherein the polymer is removed by a process selected from the group consisting of melting, etching, application of a strong base, application of a stripping agent and combinations thereof.

20 . A method for fabricating a hollow metal part, the method comprising:
forming a polymer into a desired shape having an outer surface; preparing the outer surface to receive an atomic layer of palladium using a process selected from the group consisting of etching, abrading, reactive ion etching, and combinations thereof; activating the outer surface with palladium; electroless plating nickel onto the outer surface and the palladium to form a first layer having a thickness ranging from about 0.1 to about 10 microns; electrolytically plating copper onto the first layer to form a second layer; plating a third metal onto the second layer to form a third layer using a process selected from the group consisting of electroless plating, electrolytic plating, electroforming, and combinations thereof; removing the polymer; applying at least a fourth metal layer onto the third layer using a process selected from the group consisting of electrolytic plating, electroless plating, electroforming, thermal spray coating, plasma vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, cold spraying, and combinations thereof and heating the first, second, third, and fourth layers using a process selected from the group consisting of transient liquid phase bonding, brazing, diffusion bonding, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Cook Grant O

Classifications

• C23C18/1653

  Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating · CPC title

• C23C18/22

  Roughening, e.g. by etching · CPC title

• C25D9/02

  with organic materials · CPC title

• G01N3/08 Primary

  by applying steady tensile or compressive forces (G01N3/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B32B2255/205

  Metallic coating · CPC title