printing a circuit on porcelain

Reach

I wondered if there is a way to print a circuit on to a porcelain disk? Has anyone ever heard of this and if so please provide some details. It sounds like it may be fragile but that is kind of what I want, to a certain degree.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

If by porcelain you mean ceramic then, yes, it's done all the time. Here's one example of a company that can do it:

http://www.stacicorp.com/pcb-solutions/ceramic-circuit-boards

-Phil

LoopyByteloose

It is pretty much a choice between laminating a sheet of conductor onto the ceramic and then etching the circuit, or printing a conductive material on to the ceramic and using that to electroplate a conductive material onto the surface.

Much depends on the complexity of the circuit and which is the better bond.

I suppose there might even be a third way. Print a metallic paste on to the surface and then melt the metal in a kiln to have it directly bond. But while that might be the best, it also might be the most difficult to achieve. After all, the metal may oxidize at such extreme temperatures unless a combination of the right flux and the right atmosphere are used.

jazzed

Draw it or paint it?

Google conductive ink. Silver ink pens have been around a while. There is also conductive paint.

Maybe this? http://www.electroninks.com/shop/

GordonMcComb

Conductive paint sounds great, but it is poorly conductive. You'd have account for the higher than normal resistance in the design.

For cheap and at-home, I think I'd probably laminate thin copper over the ceramic using epoxy, apply resist, and etch in the normal manner.

If you do want to try the conductive paint idea, and your circuit is not complex or intricate, one method would be to have your design cut out using a plotter cutter, the kind used to make window lettering. Check around at nearby signmaking shops. Coat that with conducive paint or ink (depending on the level of conductivity you need), stick that to the ceramic, and peel off the excess. I've used a similar technique to make home brew capacitative sensors.

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Two things to remember if you go the epoxy-under-copper route:

1. Use a high-temp-rated epoxy. You don't want it to delaminate during hand soldering or reflowing.
2. After etching, the surface where there's no copper will be hardened epoxy, not porcelain.

-Phil

RickB

You can plate non-conductive surfaces with metal such as copper and then etch. It's been done with pc boards for long time. Here is an example search. The same idea applies to other metals. DIY kits are available.

https://www.google.com/search?num=50&newwindow=1&q=copper+plating+non-conductive+material&oq=plating+copper+on+non-conductive&gs_l=serp.1.0.0i22i30l2.311001.322297.0.326010.21.21.0.0.0.0.143.1753.17j4.21.0....0...1c.1.34.serp..1.20.1604.c2TdnBHaiVs

Rick

Genetix

Some flexible circuits such as appliance control panels are made by silk-screening a silver-containing conductive paint on to plastic sheets. These circuits are usually simple and don't use much power. Most of the "flex" circuits I've worked with were made by sandwiching copper sheets between plastic layers.