Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for metallizing a non-metallic substrate, the method comprising the steps (A) to (C), wherein step (A) is a pre-treatment step for etching and step (C) the metallization step. In step (A) a pre-treatment composition is utilized comprising individual manganese (II), (III), and (IV) species. The present invention furthermore relates to a specific pre-treatment composition.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an electroless nickel plating bath suitable for application in plating on plastic processes. The plating bath is free of hazardous substances such as lead ions and ammonia and allows deposition of nickel phosphorous alloys on plastic substrates at plating temperatures not higher than 55° C. Furthermore, the deposition of copper from an immersion type copper plating bath onto the nickel phosphorous coatings require no activation step which results in less process steps and less waste water production.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an electroless nickel plating bath suitable for application in plating on plastic processes. The plating bath is free of hazardous substances such as lead ions and ammonia and allows deposition of nickel phosphorous alloys on plastic substrates at plating temperatures not higher than 55° C. Furthermore, the deposition of copper from an immersion type copper plating bath onto the nickel phosphorous coatings require no activation step which results in less process steps and less waste water production.

Abstract: Described is a new process for applying a metal coating to a non-conductive substrate comprising the steps of (a) contacting the substrate with an activator comprising a noble metal/group IVA metal sol to obtain a treated substrate, (b) contacting said treated substrate with a composition comprising a solution of: (i) a Cu(II), Ag, Au or Ni soluble metal salt or mixtures thereof, (ii) 0.05 to 5 mol/l of a group IA metal hydroxide and (iii) a complexing agent for an ion of the metal of said metal salt, wherein an iminosuccinic acid or a derivative thereof is used as said complexing agent.

Abstract: Described is a new process for applying a metal coating to a non-conductive substrate comprising the steps of (a) contacting the substrate with an activator comprising a noble metal/group IVA metal sol to obtain a treated substrate, (b) contacting said treated substrate with a composition comprising a solution of: (i) a Cu(II), Ag, Au or Ni soluble metal salt or mixtures thereof, (ii) 0.05 to 5 mol/l of a group IA metal hydroxide and (iii) a complexing agent for an ion of the metal of said metal salt, wherein an iminosuccinic acid or a derivative thereof is used as said complexing agent.

Abstract: A method for electroless metal plating of substrates, more specifically with electrically non-conductive surfaces, by which the substrates may be reliably metal plated at low cost under manufacturing conditions as well and by means of which it is possible to selectively coat the substrates to be treated only, and not the surfaces of the racks. The method involves the following steps: a. pickling the surfaces with a solution containing chromate ions; b. activating the pickled surfaces with a silver colloid containing stannous ions; c. treating the activated surfaces with an accelerating solution in order to remove tin compounds from the surfaces; and d. depositing, by means of an electroless nickel plating bath, a layer that substantially consists of nickel to the surfaces treated with the accelerating solution, the electroless nickel plating bath containing at least one reducing agent selected from the group comprising borane compounds.

Abstract: A method for electroless metal plating of substrates, more specifically with electrically non-conductive surfaces, by which the substrates may be reliably metal plated at low cost under manufacturing conditions as well and by means of which it is possible to selectively coat the substrates to be treated only, and not the surfaces of the racks. The method involves the following steps: a. pickling the surfaces with a solution containing chromate ions; b. activating the pickled surfaces with a silver colloid containing stannous ions; c. treating the activated surfaces with an accelerating solution in order to remove tin compounds from the surfaces; and d. depositing, by means of an electroless nickel plating bath, a layer that substantially consists of nickel to the surfaces treated with the accelerating solution, the electroless nickel plating bath containing at least one reducing agent selected from the group comprising borane compounds.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the treatment of work pieces with a palladium colloid solution by bringing the work pieces into contact with the colloid solution, palladium being recovered after the use of the colloid solution. This is achieved by separating palladium colloid particles from the colloid liquid by means of a molecular filter. With this method it is easy to continuously and largely completely separate palladium from the spent processing solutions without investing large amounts of chemicals, energy and time. The spent processing solution may especially be worked up after separation of the part of the solution containing palladium such that palladium can be recovered completely and be reused for further processing.