Colorimetric test for brake fluid
OwnerJon A. Pettyinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for determining a type of brake fluid that includes contacting a colorimetric reagent on a substrate. An embodiment of the method reacts to the presence of a borate ester in brake fluid to produce a color contacted by DOT 4/5.1 brake fluid or a second color in the presence of pure DOT 3 fluid. In the event of mixtures of DOT 3 with DOT 4/5.1, a third color results when contacted by a mixture of DOT 3 and DOT 4/5.1 brake fluid in which the DOT 4/5.1 fluid is about 50% or less of the mixture.
Claims11
A method for determining a Department of Transportation (DOT) type of brake fluid, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a colorimetric reagent and a brake fluid sample;
- (b) contacting said colorimetric reagent with said brake fluid sample, wherein said colorimetric reagent results in a first color when contacted by DOT 3 brake fluid or a second color when contacted by a DOT 4/5.1 brake fluid;
- and
- (c) determining that the brake fluid sample is DOT 3 by observing said first color or is DOT 4/5.1 by observing said second color.
A method for determining a type of brake fluid, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a colorimetric reagent and sample of brake fluid;
- (b) contacting said colorimetric reagent with said brake fluid sample, wherein said colorimetric reagent results in a first color when contacted by a brake fluid that does not contain a borate ester or a second color when contacted by a brake fluid that does contain a borate ester;
- (c) determining that the brake fluid sample does not contain said borate ester by observing said first color or does contain said borate ester by observing said second color.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.