Preparation of the Copper Coatings on Fe Powder by Electroless Plating Technique

The electroless coating technique is one of the elegant methods available for the production of protective coatings on surface. Our study has been aimed at the conditions of the electroless deposition of copper coating onto the iron powder particles from sulphate electrolyte. The course of the electroless process depends on the composition and pH of the electrolyte as well as on the size and concentration of the iron powder particles in the electrolyte. After analysis, the most convenient electrolyte was chosen (pH 3.3, c Na3(cit) = 0.25 mol dm), suppressing mostly the rate of the electroless process and shifting at the same time its equilibrium to the reactants. Another parameter is quantity of Fe powder particles. With increasing particle size fraction the effective surface for electroless process is reduced. The highest amount of copper is deposited on the smallest grain class of powder particles. At higher suspension density of iron the effective surface for deposition of copper is enlarged. The coated and uncoated powders have been subjected to microstructural studies by microscopic methods.