Granted Patent B2

US 12,644,187 · App. 17/559,653 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Nan-Xing Hu (Oakville, CA); Yulin Wang (Oakville, CA); Sandra J. Gardner (Oakville, CA)

Assignee: Xerox Corporation

C23C18/1641C08J3/05C08J3/14C23C18/31C08J2377/00

Abstract

Claims (27)

1 . A metallized polymer particle composition comprising:

polymer particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles; and

a metal coating on an outer surface of at least a portion of the polymer particles, the metal coating comprising a plating metal that overlays a plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles and a catalyst metal;

wherein the thermoplastic polymer particles have a circularity of about 0.90 or greater; and

wherein the thermoplastic polymer particles comprise a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyamide, a polyurethane, a polyacetal, a polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyhexamethylene terephthalate, a polyester, polylactic acid, a polyether, a polyether sulfone, a polyetherether ketone, a polyimide, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylene ether, a polyarylene sulfide, a polysulfone, a polyether ketone, a polyamide-imide, a polyetherimide, a polyetherester, a chlorinated or chlorosulphonated polyethylene, a phenolic resin, a silicone, and any combination thereof.

2 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles comprises a nanoparticle selected from the group consisting of graphene, reduced graphene oxide, a two-dimensional transition metal compound, and any combination thereof.

3 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles comprises a MXene having a layered structure selected from the group consisting of a transition metal carbide, a transition metal nitride, a transition metal carbonitride, and any combination thereof.

4 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 3 , wherein the MXene further comprises a surface terminating group selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, an oxygen, a sulfur, a hydroxyl, a halide, and any combination thereof.

5 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 3 , wherein the MXene further comprises a surface terminating group selected from the group consisting of an oxygen, a sulfur, a hydroxyl, a halide, and any combination thereof.

6 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , further comprising:

an adhesion promoter interposed between the outer surface of the polymer particles and the two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles.

7 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles is localized at an interface of the metal coating and the outer surface of the polymer particles.

8 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles is present at about 0.00001 wt % to about 0.1 wt % relative to a mass of the plating metal in the metal coating.

9 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein a mass ratio of the plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles to the catalyst metal ranges from about 1,000:1 to about 1:1,000.

10 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal coating has a thickness ranging from about 0.005 μm to about 10 μm.

11 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst metal comprises at least one of copper, silver, platinum, or palladium.

12 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the plating metal comprises at least one of copper, silver, gold, chromium, nickel, or any alloy thereof.

13 . A process comprising:

depositing a particulate composition comprising a first plurality of particles comprising the metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 and optionally a second plurality of particles comprising thermoplastic polymer particles lacking a metal coating; and

consolidating a portion of the particulate composition to form a consolidated body comprising a metal.

14 . The metallized polymer particle composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer particles comprise a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyamide, a polyurethane, and any combination thereof.

15 . A method comprising:

providing polymer particles comprising a plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles and a catalyst metal on an outer surface of at least a portion of the polymer particles;

wherein the polymer particles comprise thermoplastic polymer particles, and the thermoplastic polymer particles have a circularity of about 0.90 or greater; and

wherein the thermoplastic polymer particles comprise a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyamide, a polyurethane, a polyacetal, a polycarbonate, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyhexamethylene terephthalate, a polyester, polylactic acid, a polyether, a polyether sulfone, a polyetherether ketone, a polyimide, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylene ether, a polyarylene sulfide, a polysulfone, a polyether ketone, a polyamide-imide, a polyetherimide, a polyetherester, a chlorinated or chlorosulphonated polyethylene, a phenolic resin, a silicone, and any combination thereof; and

performing electroless plating upon the outer surface of the polymer particles using a plating metal precursor to form metallized polymer particles having a metal coating upon the outer surface of the polymer particles;

wherein the metal coating comprises a plating metal that overlays the plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles and the catalyst metal.

Assignments (7)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (9)