Electroless nickel plating

Claim 2

In an electroless nickel solution comprising a source of nickel ions, a reducing agent therefor, a complexing agent and a pH adjustor, the improvement comprising the addition to the electroless plating solution of a polymer consisting of polymerized units of a 2-acrylamido or 2-methacrylamido alkyl sulfonic acid in an amount sufficient to increase the rate of plating.

Claim 3

The solution of claim 1 where the monomer corresponds to the formula: ##STR2## where each R, independent of the other, is H or lower alkyl having up to 4 carbon atoms and n is a whole integer of from 1 to 2.

Claim 4

The solution of claim 2 where the monomer is 2-acryloylamido-2,2-dimethylethane-1-sulfonic acid.

Claim 5

The solution of claim 1 where the reducing agent is a hypophosphite.

Claim 6

The solution of claim 4 where the polymer is poly-(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid).

Claim 7

The solution of claim 4 where the polymer is poly-(2-methacrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid).

Claim 8

In an electroless nickel plating solution comprising a source of nickel ions, a reducing agent therefor, a complexing agent and a PH adjustor, the improvement comprising the addition to the electroless plating solution of a polymer of copolymerized units of 2-acryloylamido-2,2 dimethylethane-1-sulphonic acid or 2-methacrylamida sulfonic acid and at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, styrene, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, mathacrylic and acrylic acid esters having 1 to 18 carbon atoms in the alcohol moiety acrylamide, methacrylamide (meth)acrylmethylamide, (meth)acryldimethylamide, acrylhydroxyethylamide, (meth)acrylhydroxyethylamide, butadiene, chlorobutadiene and isoprene in an amount sufficient to increase the rate of plating.

Claim 9

In an electroless nickel plating solution comprising a source of nickel ions, a reducing agent therefor, a complexing agent and a PH adjustor, the improvement comprising the addition to the electroless plating solution of a polymer of copolymerized units of 2-acryloylamido-2,2 dimethylethane-1-sulphonic acid or 2-methacrylamida sulfonic acid and at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, styrene, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, mathacrylic and acrylic acid esters having 1 to 18 carbon atoms in the alcohol moiety acrylamide, methacrylamide (meth)acrylmethylamide, (meth)acryldimethylamide, acrylhydroxyethylamide, (meth)acrylhydroxyethylamide, butadiene, chlorobutadiene and isoprene in an amount sufficient to increase the rate of plating.

Claim 10

The solution of claim 4 where the polymer is present in an amount up to saturation.

Claim 11

The solution of claim 4 where the polymer is present in an amount sufficient to increase the plating rate by 20% compared to a solution free of polymer.

Claim 12

The solution of claim 9 where the concentration of the polymer ranges between 0.1 and 5 grams per liter.

Claim 13

The solution of claim 9 where the concentration of the polymer ranges between about 0.20 and 1.5 grams per liter.

Claim 14

A process for increasing the rate of deposition of nickel from an electroless nickel plating solution comprising a source of nickel ions, a reducing agent therefor, a complexing agent and a pH adjustor, said process comprising the step of including in said plating solution a polymer of a 2-acrylamido or 2-dimethylamido alkyl sulfonic acid.

Claim 15

A process for increasing the rate of deposition of nickel from an electroless nickel plating solution comprising a source of nickel ions, a reducing agent therefor, a complexing agent and a pH adjustor, said process comprising the step of including in said plating solution a polymer of a 2-acrylamido or 2-dimethylamido alkyl sulfonic acid.

Claim 16

The process of claim 12 where the monomer corresponds to the formula: ##STR3## where each R, independent of the other, is H or lower alkyl having up to 4 carbon atoms and n is a whole integer of from 1 to 2.

Claim 17

The process of claim 13 where the monomer is 2-acryloylamido-2,2-dimethylethane-1-sulfonic acid.