Metallic materials with embedded luminescent particles
AssigneeThe Royal Mint Limited
InventorsJeffrey L. Conroy, Philip B. Forshee, James A. Shearer
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Abstract
Formation of an authentication element by deposition of a metal layer with embedded particles on a metal substrate, wherein the embedded particles are configured to convert energy from one wavelength to another. The embedded particles may be upconverters, downconverters, or phosphorescent phosphors, which can be detected and measured with analytical equipment when deposited in the metal layer. A metal substrate may include coinage.
Claims12
A method for depositing a metal layer having embedded luminescent particles onto a metal substrate, comprising:
- mixing the luminescent particles with a metallic material to produce a plating solution, wherein—the luminescent particles have a density of 5.0 g/cm3 or more;
- inserting the metal substrate into the plating solution;
- and
- performing an electroplating process to coat the metal substrate on all sides with a metal layer, wherein the metal layer contains embedded luminescent particles from the plating solution,
- wherein the electroplating process includes a rotating barrel in which the metal substrate is contained when inserted into the plating solution, wherein tumbling from the process deposits the luminescent particles in the metal layer that is formed during the electroplating process such that the luminescent particles are physically distributed throughout the entirety of the metal layer and a portion of the luminescent particles are embedded on or near an outer-most surface of the metal layer in a manner to be detectable by UV, visible or infrared light.
A method for depositing a metal layer having embedded luminescent particles onto a metal substrate, comprising:
- mixing the luminescent particles with a metallic material to produce a plating solution, wherein the luminescent particles have a density of 5.0 g/cm3 or more;
- inserting the metal substrate into the plating solution;
- and
- performing an electroplating process to coat the metal substrate on all sides with a metal layer, wherein the metal layer is optically dense and selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, zinc, brass, gold, silver and platinum and the metal layer contains embedded luminescent particles,
- wherein the electroplating process includes a rotating barrel in which the metal substrate is contained when inserted into the plating solution, wherein tumbling from the process deposits particles in the metal layer that is formed during the electroplating process such that the luminescent particles are physically distributed throughout the entirety of the metal layer and a portion of the luminescent particles embedded on or near an outer-most surface of the metal layer in a manner to be detectable by UV, visible or infrared light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.