ELECTROLESS PLATING METHOD AND NON-CONDUCTIVE PLATED ARTICLE HAVING PLATING FILM

This invention provides an electroless plating method which, while eliminating the need to provide the step of previously imparting a catalyst, can form a plating film having high adhesion on an electrically nonconductive plating object by electroless plating at low cost. An electrically conductive medium (2) which is catalytically active against an oxidation reaction of a reducing agent (R) is added to a plating bath (1) containing a metal ion (M+) capable of forming a plating film (5) and a reducing agent (R) capable of precipitating a metal ion. The metal ion receives electrons produced by an oxidation reaction of the reducing agent and consequently is reduced and is precipitated on the surface of the medium (2), and the precipitated metal (3) is adhered onto the surface of the medium (2). When the medium (2) collides with an plating object (4), the medium (2) is pressed against the surface of the plating object (4) to cause the transfer of the precipitated metal (3) onto the surface of a plating object (4). The precipitated metal (3) serves as a nucleus to form a plating film (5).