Additively manufactured thermoset polymers for metal plating and metal plated parts formed therefrom

1. A thermoset resin for forming parts to be metal plated, the thermoset resin comprising:

a vat photopolymerization (VPP) thermoset resin; and

an etchable phase disposed in the VPP thermoset resin, wherein the etchable phase is configured to be etched from a surface of a part formed from the VPP thermoset resin such that a plurality of micro-mechanical locking sites is formed on the surface of the part.

2. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the VPP thermoset resin comprises a mixture of at least one monomer, at least one oligomer, and at least one photoinitiator.

3. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the VPP thermoset resin comprises at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of an (meth)acrylate monomer and a vinyl ether.

4. The thermoset resin according to claim 3 , wherein the (meth)acrylate monomer is at least one of a monofunctional monomer, a difunctional monomer, and a multifunctional monomer.

5. The thermoset resin according to claim 3 , wherein the (meth)acrylate monomer is at least one of 2-Ethyl hexyl acrylate (EHA), n-butyl acrylates (BA), 1,4-butanediol diacrylate (BDDA), diethyleneglycoldiacrylate (DEGDA), bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA), bisphenol A ethoxylate diacrylate (Bis-EDA), trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TTA), and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA).

6. The thermoset resin according to claim 3 , wherein the vinyl ether is at least one of diethyleneglycol divinyl ether (DEGDE), cyclohexane dimethanol divinyl ether (CHDMDE), and triethylene glycol divinyl ether (TEGDE).

7. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the VPP thermoset resin comprises at least one (meth)acrylated oligomer.

8. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the VPP thermoset resin comprises at least one oligomer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, (meth)acrylate, polyether (meth)acrylate, polyester (meth)acrylate, epoxy (meth)acrylate, phenolic (meth)acrylate, amino (meth)acrylate, or silicone (meth) acrylate.

9. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the etchable phase is selected from the group consisting of organic particles, organic resins, inorganic particles, and copolymers of the VPP thermoset resin.

10. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the etchable phase is at least one of (meth)(acrylates selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene (meth)acrylate, polyisoprene (meth)acrylate, polychlorprene (meth)acrylate, unsaturated polyester (meth)acrylate, and alkyd (meth)acrylate, and (meth)acrylated polymers with backbones or sidechains having an unsaturated double bond function group (—CH 2 ═CH 2 —).

11. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 , wherein the etchable phase is at least one of metal particles selected from the group consisting of iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al), metal oxide particles selected from the group consisting of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO), and metal carbonate particles selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), barium carbonate (BaCO 3 ), and magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3 ).

12. The thermoset resin according to claim 1 further comprising a component formed from the VPP thermoset resin with the etchable phase disposed therein.

13. The thermoset resin according to claim 12 , wherein the component has an etched surface and a metal coating disposed on the etched surface.

14. The thermoset resin according to claim 12 , wherein the metal coating is a chromium coating.

15. The thermoset resin according to claim 12 , wherein the metal coating is a layer of nickel, a layer of copper and a layer of chromium.

16. A metal plated polymer part comprising:

a vat photopolymerization (VPP) thermoset substrate formed from a mixture of at least one monomer, at least one oligomer, at least one photoinitiator, and an etchable phase; and

a metal coating on a surface of the VPP thermoset substrate, wherein the surface is an etched surface with a plurality of micro-mechanical locking sites and the metal coating is bonded to the surface at the plurality of micro-mechanical locking sites.

17. The metal plated polymer part according to claim 16 , wherein the VPP thermoset substrate is formed from a VPP thermoset resin comprising at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of an (meth)acrylate monomer and a vinyl ether.

18. The metal plated polymer part according to claim 17 , wherein the (meth)acrylate monomer is at least one of 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate (EHA), n-butyl acrylates (BA), 1,4-butanediol diacrylate (BDDA), diethyleneglycoldiacrylate (DEGDA), and bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA), bisphenol A ethoxylate diacrylate (Bis-EDA), trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TTA), and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), and the vinyl ether is at least one of diethyleneglycol divinyl ether (DEGDE), cyclohexane dimethanol divinyl ether (CHDMDE), and triethylene glycol divinyl ether (TEGDE).

19. The metal plated polymer part according to claim 17 , wherein the VPP thermoset resin comprises at least one oligomer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane (meth)acrylate, polyether (meth)acrylate, polyester (meth)acrylate, epoxy (meth)acrylate, phenolic (meth)acrylate, amino (meth)acrylate, and silicone (meth) acrylate.

20. The metal plated polymer part according to claim 16 , wherein the etchable phase is selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene (meth)acrylate, polyisoprene (meth)acrylate, polychlorprene (meth)acrylate, unsaturated polyester (meth)acrylate, alkyd (meth)acrylate, (meth)acrylated polymers with backbones or side chains comprising unsaturated double bond function group (—CH 2 ═CH 2 —), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), magnesium oxide (MgO), zinc oxide (ZnO), calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), barium carbonate (BaCO 3 ), and magnesium carbonate (MgCO 3 ).