Characteristics of Electroless Copper Plating on Modified Carbon Fiber

This study investigated a surface modification and electroless copper (Cu) plating on the carbon fiber (CF) surface. Surface structure was studied and characterized at different treatment temperature (150, 200 and 250) degrees C for 1 hour. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), was used to analyze the coated samples. Three sharp diffraction peaks match with Bragg reflections (hkl planes) (111), (200), and (220) of (F.C.C.) structure of crystalline copper emerge around 20 = 45.1o, 54.3 o and 76.2 o, respectively. The increase in the intensity peak and decrease the FWHM may be due to the increase in the average crystallite size at the treatment temperature increase. SEM image shows the changes from a tabular surface to a coarse surface after etching, sensitization and activation. It is also observed there is no deficiency on the Cu-coated carbon fiber this is due to uniformly deposit of Cu on the carbon fibers surface by using electroless plating. At temperature of 150 degrees C, an irregular surface morphology fully crowded with teeny grains and a few infrequent shaped cusp of the coatings. The coating surface morphology becomes more compact at the temperature reach to 250 degrees C.