Application of Nd:YAG Laser in Electroless Metallization of Polymer Composites

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The aim of this work was to verify the influence of Nd:YAG laser radiation (λ = 1064 nm) on the formation of catalytic surface in polyamide (PA6) composites. Three different polyamide composites containing copper compounds and varied with glass fiber content were irradiated with three different energy doses. After laser ablation, composites were electroless metalized without any pre-treatments using commercial metallization bath. The composites were analyzed based on photographic and scanning electron microscopy images. Chemical alterations resulted from laser ablation of the composite surface layers were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. After laser ablation, the composites without glass fibers were melted and did not become preferably catalytic, while those containing glass fibers could be successfully metalized. It was concluded that Nd:YAG laser can be applied in direct electroless metallization of polyamide composites, however, it requires both strict process control of irradiation and proper material design.