US1704125A - Metal plating nonmetallic substance - Google Patents

Description

March s, 1929. H, c, ISHER 1,704,125

METAL PLATING NONMETALLIC SUBSTANCE Filed 1p1-11 12.* 1924 Patented Mar. 5, 1.929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.`

HARRY C. FISHER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE RICHARDSON COMPANY,

OF LOCKLAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO METAL IPLATING NONMTALLIC SUBSTANCE.

Application filed Apri1 121924. Serial No. 706,193.

My invention relates to processesof forming on non-metallic surfaces, a coating of metal which is not removable from the non- Inetallic surface. More specifically it re- 5 lates to forming metal films on bodies coated with asphalt or some other bitumenand keying these films into the bitumen.

My invention is based on the factvthat if a metal in finely divided condition is mixed with Water and a volatile liquid Which is immiscible with Water, such as benzol, under proper conditions, .and a thoroughemulsion formed, then When this emulsion is poured onto water near boiling temperature so that the benzol will be driven off, the metal which has coated or been held Within the body of the minute bubbles of benzol Will float on the surface ofy the Water, in what is apparently a solid metal film; `It is also based on thefactthat if'such a film is brought into contact with an asphalt Isurface,or other Abitumen surfacethat has been rendered tacky or soft by a solvent, the\ excess of which has practically been drivenl off, then this film will coat the bituminous surface and key itself into that surface, each particle in contact with the asphalt becoming partially embedded therein, to an ex-` tent tantamount to becoming an integral part with the asphalt. `Such a film has the same advantages as a finely divided met-al freshly precipitated upon a tacky surfaced solid, and has the additional advantage that it is applicable to .metals which are with difficulty produced or held in a pure, re-

duced and nascent state and permits use of inexpensive reagents, which can be used on a commercial scale, as in plating asphalt vcoated shingles, paraffin coated cartons and 4o the like. f`

It is my object to yprovide a commercial process wherein a film of metal is formed by the action above noted and is practically freedy from'the presence of the immiscible `iquid that is used, such as benzolfby transn ference toanother Water surface, and is there caused to unite with and cover a bitumen coated product. The portions of this film which are out of surface contact Withv the asphalt, exist in a powdery condition. I then cause these particles to unite with each other and With those partially v.embedded in the asphalt, to form a solid plate, by an electroplating treatment.

I accomplish myobjects by that certain process to be hereinafter more specifically In-the instance of copper,

set up. The proportions of Water, benzol and metal are easily determined by experiment, as they depend somewhat on the nature of the firmforming machine. The addition of dilute sulphuric and acetic acids Will assist in assuring the desired result,

Which is to form an emulsion of benzol and' Water, which emulsion Will carry the metal or portions thereof.

The emulsion is drawn olf and passed into a float case. floats to the surface and isioated onto the surface of a body of heated Water. I have shown a oat case with sluice 1, extending into' a tank 2, which has a suitable heater. As fthe result of thisdeliveryl action and the heat of the Water, the benzol is liberated from the emulsion and isdrawn off through the hood 3, over a portion of the tank, to a benzol condenser, which regains the benzol for subsequent use. f

Here' the emulsion proper In the tank, I provide a roll 4 as a means for vdrawing the metal film which is formed by the driving of offthebenzol, entirely away from the presence of the benzol,as itrl forms, to the Water surface`in the portionv 5 of the tank, Where it Will lie quietly on the Water surface, will accumulate into a con-` tinuous film, and may by this means, be almost entirely freed of benzol. The impor-- tance of removal of the metal. from benzol lies in the fact that 'contact with tacky asphalt while in its benzol phase, or in 'the presence of benzol, would result in the asphalt coating the metal particles'.

Y tacky. It is then passed down over a roll The process should be carried on so as to get as much copper or other metal onto the surface of the water as possible. This can be judged by the fact that gravity will overcome the surface tension that supports the metal film when too much metal is produced in the floated film.

The element to be coated which l have shown as asphalt coated roofing, which may have a slate surface, is brought through a benzol bath, in which, rifthe rooting is slate surfaced, there should be considerable asphalt in solution. From this bath, which softens the surface of asphalt-surfaced roofing, softened asphalt on the surface of the slatecovered rooting, the sheet may be passed through a drier. lf desired, benzol fumes may be used to make the asphalt-surface so that its tacky surface comes into contact with the metal film in the tank portion 5. l have shown a roll 6 for the purpose. The sheet is then freed from water and any remaining benzol in another dryer. The roll 6 will preferably cause the web to dip down and then return through the liquid, making it possible to take two films, if desired, and the roll will preferably be below the surface so as not to disturb the film This leaves the product with a non-conductive keyed-in bo`dy of finely divided metal and with a conductive surface of loose or dusty nature, which canbe readily wiped- 0E. i I pass.` the sheet through an electroplater in which-the metal in question is being liberated and is deposited on the conductive surface. The dusty coating may be so formed that a very brief electropl-ating serves to unite all of the metal together into a solid, keyed-in sheet, integral with the asphalt. The sheet is then washed and dried, and may then ypass to a shingle cutter, or other cutting device.

This process may be made continuous and? is economical in production of metal coated, non-metallic elements. f

The. reason for departingV from`known methods of electroplating non-conductive surfaces by a preliminary treatment with carbon or plumbago to give a conductive doi base on which to build, is that the film is keyed-in, the electroplating isv shortened, and all the coating can be of the metallic character desired.

My process may be applied to any surface but without the integral unity of the metal bodyy and the material to which it is applied. It can also be used to give a metal sheen, or color to products of bituminous nature, without the electroplating step.

Having thus described my invention,

or deposits a" what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A. process of metal coating a nonmetallic product which consists in applying a bituminous surface thereto, rendering said surface tacky by uneans of a solvent, and bringing the productinto contact with iihn of iinely divided metal supported on water surface by surface tension, and subsequently electroplating the surface to unite the metal picked up by the tacky surface from the said lm.

2. process of preparing an article having a metal coating which consists in agita-tng together a finely divided metal, water and a volatile liquid insoluble in water to forni a metal-bearing emulsion and depositing said emulsion on heated water thereby driving o' the volatile liquid and thereby forming a film of the metal on the surface of the water making the article adhesive, and then bringing the article into Contact with theI film.`

3. A process of preparing an article having a metal coating which consists in agitating together a iinely divided metal, water and a volatile liquid insoluble in water to form a metal-bearing emulsion, and 4depositing said emulsion on heated water thereby'driving 0E the volatilefliquid and therebypforming a lm of the metal on the surface of the water, making the article adhesive and then bringing the article into contact with the tilm.

4. AA process for metal coating an article having a bituminous surface'which consists in wetting the surface with a solvent thereof, drying the surface sufficiently/ to leave it tacky, Lforming a metal film on a surface of Water by liberating finely divided metal from a metal-bearing emulsion by heating the emulsion on the water surface, bringing the tacky bituminous surface into contact with Ithe film and subsequently electroplating the metal covered surface to form the` deposited powdery metal into a solid sheet.

5. A process of incorporating finely divided metal into the surface of a body .which consists in forming a coating ofv 6. A process of incorporating finely di-.v

vided metal into the surface of a body which consists in forming a coating of bitumen on the body and rendering the coating tacky on the` surface, forming an water, and a volatile liquid insoluble in water, depositing the emulsion on a fluid support under conditions which. evaporate Yemulsion'bearing a finely dividedu metal, of

the volatile liquid, and dipping Said body so as to pick up the film of metal upon the tacking coating thereof.

7. A process of metal coating a non- 5 metallic product which consists in applying a bituminous surface thereto, rendering said surface tacky by means of a solvent, and bringing said tacky surface into contact with a film of finely divided metal supported on water by surface tension, and

thereafter electroplating the surface to unite the metal picked up from the film into :f1 solid body keyed into the bituminous surace.

HARRY C. FISHER.

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