Process for metallization of an article having a plastic surface avoiding the metallization of the rack which fixes the article within the plating bath

1. A process for metallization of an article having a plastic surface comprising the steps of:

a) fastening the article to a rack;

b) etching the plastic surface with an aqueous etching solution free of Cr 6+ ,

c) treating the etched plastic surface with a reducing agent; and

d) metalizing the treated plastic surface;

wherein, after step c) or during step c), the plastic surface of the article and the rack are treated with an aqueous acidic rack conditioning solution which comprises water, at least one organosulfur compound, and at least one inorganic acid at a temperature from 25° C. to 70° C.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one organosulfur compound is an organosulfur compound containing bivalent sulphur.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the organosulfur compound is represented by the formula R—SH, wherein R represents an organic group.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the organosulfur compound is selected from the group consisting of dithiocarbamates, 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, 3-mercaptopropansulfonic acid sodium salt, thioglycolic acid, 3-(benzothiazolyl-2-mercapto)propyl sulfonic acid sodium salt, and mixtures thereof.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one inorganic acid in the rack conditioning solution is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, and mixtures thereof.

6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one inorganic acid is hydrochloric acid wherein the concentration of the hydrochloric acid in the rack conditioning solution is from 0.01 to 2 mol/L.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is added as a separate step by treating the rack with an aqueous reducing solution or the treatment is simultaneous to the treatment with the rack conditioning solution by adding the reducing agent to the rack conditioning solution.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is suitable to chemically reduce manganese compounds.

9. The process according to claim 8 , wherein the reducing agent is selected from the group consisting of compounds having a hydroxylamine group, ascorbic acid, hydrazine, thiosulfate salts, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the rack conditioning solution further comprises at least one thickening agent.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, PEG, sodium alginate, polysaccharides, agarose, carboxymethylcellulose, and mixtures thereof.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous rack conditioning solution and/or an aqueous reducing solution comprising the reducing agent has a temperature of 25 to 70° C.; and/or the plastic surface is treated with the aqueous rack conditioning solution and/or aqueous reducing solution for 0.1 to 15 min.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the etching solution comprises KMnO 4 and phosphoric acid.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the plastic surface of the article at least partially comprises or consists of a plastic selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends, polypropylene and mixtures thereof.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the rack does not comprise a plastic surface identical to the plastic surface of the article.

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, before step b), the plastic surface is cleaned with a cleaning solution.

17. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, after any one or all of steps a) to d) and the treatment with the rack conditioning solution the plastic surface is rinsed with water.

18. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the metalizing of the treated plastic surface comprises at least one of the steps of:

i) treating the plastic surface with an aqueous acidic catalyst solution;

ii) treating the plastic surface with an aqueous acidic accelerator solution; and

iii) treating the plastic surface with an aqueous alkaline solution for electroless deposition of a metal; and

electrolytically depositing a metal on the surface having electroless-deposited metal.