Electroless Copper Plating - the Basics!

Hi

I work in a research group at the School of Physics at the University of Exeter, UK.

We design surface structures and manufacture them using a Selected Laser Sintering process. The final samples are therefore formed from a nylon powder.

Our problem is that the sample must be uniformly coated with a layer of a non-magnetic metal. e.g., copper, or high phosphorous Nickel. And since the substrate is nylon, I presume an electroless method will be best.

"Electroless Plating"
by Mallory & Hajdu

on eBay or Amazon
or AbeBooks
(affil link)

"Electroless Copper and Nickel-phosphorous Plating"
by Sha, Wu, & Keong

on eBay or Amazon
or AbeBooks
(affil link)

Can you help us in any way? What apparatus/chemicals do we need to plate the substrate. Can you point me to a good place to find the method to do this. Is it practical for us to do it ourselves or should we use an outside company?

Thanks in advance

Nylon etched by chromate and sulfuric acid or if this pieces were small in numbers then you can make etching mechanically.
Then you can go as same as ABS plating.

1-activation [pd-tin activator]

2-acceleration [sodium hydroxide [affil link]]

3-electroless nickel

4-acidic copper