Studies on the preparation and properties of conductive polymers. Part II. Novel method to prepare metallized plastics from metal chelates of polyamides

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Abstract
New metallized films were obtained by the reduction of polyamide metal chelate films with reducing agents. Polyamide metal chelates films exhibited excellent surface resistivity around 10°–101 Ω/cm2 when treated with sodium borohydride aqueous solutions. Aqueous solutions of polyamide–formic acid with metal salts, and films prepared from those solutions, were analyzed by UV‐visible and IR spectroscopy, respectively, in order to investigate and identify the structure of the polyamide metal chelates. Factors that include kinds and concentrations of metal salts, kinds and concentrations of reducing agents, and reduction time, which may affect the conductivity of metallized films, were investigated. The surfaces of these films were treated with sodium borohydride aqueous solution to form a definite metallic luster appearance. The surfaces of these conductive films were proved to be metallized, by means of ESCA analysis. The strongly adhered metal on the films was believed to be responsible for the improvement in electrical conductivity. The mechanical properties and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations were also studied.