An environment-friendly surface etching and activation technics for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) surface metallization were investigated as a replacement for conventional chromic acid etching bath and palladium catalyst. After etching by H2SO4-MnO2 colloid, the ABS surfaces became roughness; meanwhile the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups were formed on the surface. With absorption and a reduction by a dimethylamineborane solution, copper particles were deposited on the ABS surface, which serves as a catalyst replacement for SnCl2/PdCl2 colloid. The effects of CuSO4 concentration, (CH3)(2)NHBH3 concentration, reduction temperature and reduction time on the adhesion strength between the ABS surface and the electroless copper film were investigated. And the average adhesion strengths reached 1.31 kN m(-1), which is near the values (1.19 kN m(-1)) obtained by SnCl2/PdCl2 colloid. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.