Digital Equipment Corporation

Henry B Gordon

Carl Horowitz

Felicia Dragnea

Kenneth K Sugathan

Kenneth W Mamayek

Richard L Wiedeman

A method of grafting a conductive, tenacious, and protective coating on a metallic substrate. The metallic substrate, such as steel, aluminum, iron, platinum, silver, nickel, gold, cobalt, copper, copper alloys, or combinations thereof, is contacted with a composition having: (i) one or more polymerizable monomers having at least two functionalities; (ii) one or more graft initiators containing nickel ion in an amount effective to initiate the graft polymerization of the monomers; and (iii) a reducing agent capable of reducing nickel ion to nickel metal. The composition and substrate are heated for a time and at a temperature effective to graft polymerize the monomers and nickel metal onto the substrate and form a conductive, tenacious, and protective coating bonded to the substrate. The coating can also contain elemental phosphorous. Preferably, the coated substrate has a surface resistivity of less than 0.1 ohm per square. The method, coated substrate, and composition are useful for improving the electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) and electro-static discharge (ESD) protection of electrical enclosures.

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Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Henry B Gordon