Bonding treatment and products produced thereby

Claim 2

A process as defined in claim 2 wherein said foam froth is formed by the generation of gas bubbles adjacent the surface of the anode opposite said trailing portion of said drum cathode.

Claim 3

A process as defined in claim 3 wherein said gas bubbles comprise from about one-fourth to one-half the volume of the electrolyte adjacent said leading portion of said drum cathode.

Claim 4

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said current density to which said leading portion of said drum cathode is subjected is at least about 2,500 amps/ft2.

Claim 5

A process as defined in claim 5 wherein said electrolyte contains at least about 90 grams/liter of copper.

Claim 6

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrolyte is an aqueous sulfate solution containing at least approximately 60 grams/liter of copper and said current density to which said leading portion of said drum cathode is subjected is at least about 1,500 amps/ft2.

Claim 7

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal is copper.

Claim 8

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal is copper and wherein a foam froth is formed in said electrolyte between said leading portion of said drum cathode and the anode adjacent it by the generation of gas bubbles adjacent the surface of the anode opposite said trailing portion of said drum cathode, said gas bubbles comprising from about one-fourth to One-half the volume of the electrolyte adjacent said leading portion of said drum cathode, said current density to which said leading portion of said drum cathode is subjected being at least about 1,500 amps/ft2, said electrolyte being an aqueous sulfate solution containing at least approximately 60 grams/liter of copper.

Claim 9

A process as defined in claim 9 wherein said electrolyte contains at least about 90 grams/liter of copper and said current density to which said leading portion of said drum cathode is subjected is at least about 2,500 amps/ft2.

Claim 10

A process as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrodeposit constitutes less than about 10 percent by weight of the total weight of the metal foil resulting from said electrolytic process.

Claim 11

An electrolytic process for producing metal foil having enhanced bond strength comprising electrolytically forming metal foil in a body of electrolyte by subjecting the cathode on which said foil is to be formed to a first current density, and forming a metal electrodeposit on the surface of said foil from said same body of electrolyte by simultaneously subjecting said cathode on which said foil has been formed to a second current density sufficiently in excess of said first current density while masking said foil surface so that the latter comes in substantial contact with said electrolyte of substantially the same composition as said body of electrolyte only at a plurality of spaced locations, so as to form a metal electrodeposit in the form of substantially non-powdery, spaced projections having substantially the same mechanical properties as said foil.

Claim 12

In an electrolytic process of producing metal foil in which a drum cathode is rotated adjacent an insoluble anode while at least partially immersed in electrolyte and in which metal foil electrodeposited on said drum is continuously stripped therefrom as said drum rotates, the improvement comprising subjecting a leading portion of said drum cathode underlying a portion of said metal foil which is still immersed in said electrolyte to a current density sufficiently in excess of the current density simultaneously applied to a trailing portion of said drum cathode which is also immersed in said electrolyte so that metal electrodeposited on said first surface portion forms at a plurality of spaced locations rather than substantially uniformly across said first surface portion.

Claim 13

A sheet of metal foil produced by the process of claim 13.

Claim 14

A laminate comprising the foil defined in claim 14 and a supporting substrate, one surface of said foil being bonded to said substrate.

Claim 15

Electrolytic apparatus for producing metal foil having enhanced bond strength comprising electrolyte-containing means; anode means; means for rendering said metal foil cathodic; means for subjecting a first surface portion of said metal foil while said foil is immersed in electrolyte in said electrolyte-containing means to a current density sufficiently in excess of the current density simultaneously applied to a second surface portion of said metal foil upstream of said first surface portion while said foil is immersed in said electrolyte so that metal electrodeposited on said first surface portion forms at a plurality of spaced locations rather than substantially uniformly across said first surface.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 16 additionally comprising means for forming a foam froth in said electrolyte between said anode and said first surface portion.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said means for rendering said metal foil cathodic is a drum cathode on which said metal foil is electrodeposited; said anode substantially conforming to but being spaced from the surface of said drum; said anode being insoluble in the electrolyte used in said electrolytic apparatus; said insoluble anode comprising said foam froth forming means.