Preparation and characterization of molybdenum powders with copper coating by the electroless plating technique

Molybdenum powders with a diameter of approximately 3 μm were coated with copper using the electroless plating technique in the pH 12.5-13 and temperature range of 55-75°C. The optimization of the electroless copper bath was evaluated through the combination of process parameters like pH and temperature. The optimized values of pH and temperature were found to be 12.5 and 60°C, respectively, which attributes to the bright maroon color of the coating with an increase in weight of 46%. The uncoated and coated powders were subjected to microstructural studies using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the phases were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). An attempt was made to understand the growth mechanism of the coating. The diffusion-shrinkage autocatalytic model was suggested for copper growth on the molybdenum surface.