POLYMER BLEND FOR METAL PLATING

1 . An electroplating process comprising the following steps:

i1) providing of a substrate made from a thermoplastic molding composition,

i2) optionally cleaning/rinsing,

i3) etching,

i4) activation,

i5) acceleration,

i6) electroless chemical metal plating,

i7) deposition of one or more metal layers by electroplating;

wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises components A) to C):

A) 30 to 40 wt. % of at least one graft rubber copolymer (A) obtained by emulsion polymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile in a weight ratio of 95:5 to 50:50, styrene and/or acrylonitrile being able to be partially or completely replaced by [alpha]-methylstyrene, methyl methacrylate, N-phenylmaleimide, or mixtures thereof, in the presence of at least one polymer latex (a) of a conjugated diene;

B) 30 to 40 wt. % of at least one rubber free vinyl copolymer of 50 to 99 percent (B1) and 1 to 50 percent (B2), the percent being relative to the weight of the copolymer, where (B1) is at least one member selected from the group consisting of styrene, α-methyl styrene, nucleus-substituted styrene, and methyl methacrylate and where (B2) is at least one member selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, maleic anhydride, N-alkyl-substituted maleic imide, and N-aryl-substituted maleic imide; and

C) 25 to 34 wt.-% by weight of at least one aromatic polycarbonate;

wherein the sum of components A), B), and C) totals 100% by weight.

2 . The electroplating process of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises as component B a copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile, which is made from 69 to 81% by weight of styrene and from 19 to 31% by weight of acrylonitrile.

3 . The electroplating process of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises as component B 30 to 40 wt. % of a copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile, which is made by continuous bulk polymerization, and which contains from 69 to 81% by weight of styrene and from 19 to 31% by weight of acrylonitrile.

4 . The electroplating process of claim 3 , wherein the copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile contains 75.5 weight % of styrene and 24.5 weight % of acrylonitrile.

5 . The electroplating process of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises as component A a graft rubber copolymer obtained by emulsion polymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile in a weight ratio of 80:20 to 65:35 in the presence of at least one polymer latex (a) of butadiene.

6 . The electroplating process of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises as component A two or more graft rubber polymers, which are different in the mean particle diameter d 50 of the polymer latex (a) of the conjugated diene.

7 . The electroplating process of claim 6 , wherein the thermoplastic molding composition comprises as component A three graft rubber polymers (A1), (A2), and (A3), wherein the mean particle diameter d 50 of the polymer latex (a1) is 230 to 330 nm, the mean particle diameter d 50 of the polymer latex (a2) is 340 to 480 nm, and the mean particle diameter d 50 of the polymer latex (a3) is 10 to 220 nm.

8 . The electroplating process of claim 1 , wherein the electroless chemical metal plating is electroless nickel plating.

9 . The electroplating process of claim 1 , wherein the one or more metal layers in the deposition step are selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, and chromium.

10 . A method of using the thermoplastic molding composition according to claim 1 for electroplating.

11 . A shaped article comprising the thermoplastic molding composition according to claim 1 , which surface is coated with an electroplated metal.

12 . Use of the metal-plated shaped article according to claim 11 for automotive applications.