Application of High Performance Gold Plated Thin Film Technology in Modern Industry

1. Introduction

Gold plating film technology is a process of depositing metallic gold onto the surface of plastic film through physical or chemical means. This film not only retains the original advantages of the substrate, such as lightweight and good flexibility, but also achieves higher conductivity, corrosion resistance, and reflectivity through the addition of metallic gold. In recent years, with the development of new materials science,Gold-plated filmTechnology has made rapid progress, and various new types of gold-plated film products have emerged one after another, bringing new possibilities for industrial production and daily consumption.

2. Main types and characteristics of gold-plated films

2.1 PI Gold Plating Film

Polyimide (PI) films are renowned for their excellent thermal and chemical stability, making them an ideal choice for manufacturing high-performance electronic products. After gold plating treatment, the PI film not only has better conductivity, but also its mechanical strength is improved. This makes PI gold-plated film very suitable for use in electronic devices such as flexible circuit boards (FPCs) and microwave antennas that require operation in high-temperature environments.

According to a research report in the journal Materials Science and Engineering,PI gold-plated filmIt can maintain good electrical performance even at temperatures up to 260 ° C, with a surface resistivity of less than 0.01 Ω/sq, indicating its very stable conductivity.

2.2 PET Gold Plated Film

PET material is known for its excellent transparency and insulation, and is commonly used in the manufacture of beverage bottles, food packaging, and more. After gold plating treatment, PET film can not only be used as a decorative material, but also for making electromagnetic shielding films, especially suitable for applications that require high transmittance and certain electromagnetic shielding effects, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and touch screens.

A study published by the Materials Research Society (MRS) in the United States shows that,PET gold-plated filmThe average transmittance in the visible light region can reach over 85%, and the shielding effectiveness against electromagnetic waves at a frequency of 1GHz can reach over 20dB.

2.3 PP Gold Plated Film

Although polypropylene (PP) itself does not have good conductivity, this can be improved to some extent through specific gold plating processes. PP gold-plated film is mainly used in the packaging industry, especially for the packaging of food and medicine. The gold plating layer can improve the sealing and barrier performance of the packaging bag, thereby extending the shelf life of the product.

According to data from the European Packaging Materials Association (EPA), compared to traditional PP packaging,PP gold-plated filmThe packaging material made can reduce oxygen permeability by 70% and water vapor permeability by 60%, which is crucial for maintaining food freshness.

3. Production process

The production of gold-plated films usually adopts the following methods:

• Vacuum evaporation method: Heat the gold to an evaporated state and allow it to naturally settle onto the surface of the substrate to form a thin film.
• Magnetron sputtering method: using a magnetic field to guide high-energy particles to bombard a gold target, causing gold atoms to detach from the target surface and deposit on the substrate.
• Ion plating method: Combining the advantages of evaporation and sputtering, it can prepare more uniform and dense coatings at lower temperatures.

Each method has its own scope of application and limitations, and the most suitable process route needs to be selected according to specific needs during practical application.

4. Market Applications and Prospects

With the advancement of technology, gold plating film technology is also constantly innovating. In the future, we can foresee that gold-plated films will play an important role in more fields. For example, in smart wearable devices, IoT sensors, etc., PI gold plating film will be widely used due to its excellent flexibility and conductivity; In terms of environmental protection, PET gold-plated film may become an effective pollutant filtration material; As for PP gold-plated film, it is expected to make breakthrough progress in the field of green packaging.