METAL PLATED PLASTICS AND PROCESS THEREFOR

1,174,614. Treating polypropylene compositions. UNION CARBIDE CORP. 23 March, 1967 [24 March, 1966], No. 13807/67. Heading C3P. [Also in Division C7] Metal-plated propylene polymer substrates having a metal to polymer adhesion in excess of 5 pounds per inch are prepared by incorporating 5 to 25 weight per cent of at least one hydrocarbon elastomer containing tertiary aliphatic or allylic hydrogens in a repeating unit in a propylene polymer containing at least 90 weight per cent of propylene and having an annealed crystallinity of at least 40%, oxidizing the resulting composition and thereafter metal plating the oxidized composition. The propylene polymer may contain minor proportions of ethylene or butane units. Specified elastomers are polybutadiene, polyisoprene, and ethylene/ propylene styrene/butadiene and styrene/isoprene copolymers. Oxidation may be effected with chromic acid, or mixtures thereof with other inorganic acids, e.g. sulphuric. The oxidized products may be subjected to conventional sensitizing or pre-coated by spray gun, gas plating, cathode sputtering, vacuum metallizing or metal carbonyl decomposition before plating.