Chrome-sulfuric acid etching

Among the various plastic materials used for chrome-plated parts, ABS (copolymer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) and PC/ABS (blends of ABS with polycarbonate) are most common. Nearly 85% of the total plated plastic surface area is based on ABS or PC/ABS. The technology for etching out the rubber particles from the ABS phase using an oxidative mixture of sulfuric and chromic acid has been widely used in the industry for nearly 40 years. The etched surface is subsequently activated using precious metal species, which is then followed by an electroless deposition of a thin layer of nickel or copper. In this marmer, the smface of the otherwise non-conductive plastic is rendered electrically conductive. Subsequently, multiple layers of different... 

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