Effect of Swelling of Chemical Reagents and the Sulfuric-Chromic Acid Bath on Surface Texturizing of Poly(Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene)

The surface modification of copolymer substrates of Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) is significant for the electroplating industry. The sulfuric-chromic acid bath, used in the Electroless process, conditioning the ABS surface by selective oxidation of poly(butadiene) creating interconnected micro-holes, which allows an excellent mechanical adherence between the metallic film and the substrate. The chromium in its hexavalent form Cr(VI) is harmful to human beings and the environment being a carcinogenic element. This work shows a surface alteration effect with different types of chemical reagents on ABS surface and its treatment with the sulfuric-chromic acid bath in concentrations below those of the normal process, to analyze the possible application of the electroless process. The use of the different chemical reagents studied favored the alteration of the ABS surface causing various types of surface reactions, which could be shown spontaneously or during the conditioning step.