Study on electroless Cu plating quality of in situ TiCp

Abstract

In situ TiCp was fabricated via combustion synthesis in an Al–Ti–C system. The quality of copper plating was easily observable on the surface of spherical in situ TiCp. A study was conducted to assess the influences of the stirring method, plating temperature and particle-to-solution ratio. According to the results, magnetic stirring is an advantageous stirring method. During the plating process, the plating quality reaches the maximum level at 303 K under magnetic stirring. Moreover, uniform and dense plating is achieved when the particle-to-solution ratio reaches 1 g/100 ml. The concentration of solution and ion activity can affect the speed at which Cu2+ is attached to the growing core, which plays a significant role in the quality of copper plating.