Effects of deposition parameters of electroless copper plating on polyester fabric

Properties of electroless copper-plated polyester fabric mainly depend on the plating bath constituents/conditions. The nickel serves to catalyze the copper deposition when hypophosphite is used as a reducing agent. In this study, the effects of deposition parameters including additive NiSO4 concentration and pH on microstructure and properties of the electroless copper plating on polyester fabric using hypophosphite as a reducing agent were investigated. The results show that at a higher NiSO4 concentration, the copper content present in the coating decreases whereas the nickel content increases slightly. On the other hand, the copper content present in the coating increases, whereas the nickel content and phosphorus decreases with respect to the rise of pH. The morphology of the copper deposits show that the particle size increase with respect to the rise of NiSO4 concentration and pH. The XRD patterns indicate that the copper-plated polyester fabrics are crystalline. In addition, there is a decrease in the surface resistance and an increase in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) with respect to the rise of Ni2+ concentration and pH of the solution as a result of gaining a greater weight in the deposits. The results suggest that the copper-plated polyester fabrics have a great potential application as an EMI shielding material.