GROWTH MECHANISM OF NICKEL-PLATED COATING ON PRIMER-MODIFIED POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) SHEET

In this work, the growth mechanism of nickel-plated coating on primer-modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) sheets was investigated systematically. Results showed the surface structure of primer-modified PET sheets would chemisorb Sn and Pd, which are used as the catalyst for the electroless nickel plating. Nickel particles were formed on the plated PET surface. The crystal preferential orientation transformed from (200) plane to (111) plane and nickel particles grew with the increase of thickness of plated coating. The growth of nickel particles mainly included lateral growth and vertical growth. Cracks and then shed were formed in the nickel coating when the thickness exceeded about 228[Formula: see text]nm.