Methods for measuring degree of cure or solidification of a composition
AssigneeHenkel IP & Holding GmbH
InventorsEerik Maandi, Alan E. Litke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to methods of measuring the degree of cure or solidification of a composition. Desirably, such methods are quantitative and ascertain the degree of cure or solidification in a non-destructive manner such that they are adaptable for on-line, real-time monitoring.
Claims18
A method of measuring the degree of polymerization of a polymerizable adhesive composition comprising:
- (i) mixing a wavelength-shift fluorophore comprising 7-diethylamino-4-methyl -coumarin with the polymerizable adhesive composition;
- (ii) applying the polymerizable adhesive composition to substrates to be bonded to form a bondable assembly;
- (iii) permitting polymerization of the polymerizable adhesive composition to bond the substrates to be bonded to form a bonded assembly;
- (iv) measuring fluorescence intensity at two emission wavelengths, one on each side of peak fluorescence intensity of the wavelength-shift fluorophore, and determining a ratio therefrom;
- and
- (v) comparing the ratio to predetermined reference values that correlate the ratio of peak fluorescence intensity to (a) a known degree of polymerization of the polymerizable adhesive composition obtained through measurements of the degree of polymerization of the polymerizable adhesive composition and/or (b) a known degree of performance properties of the polymerizable adhesive composition obtained through measurements of the performance properties of the polymerizable adhesive composition.
A method of measuring the degree of solidification of a thermoplastic adhesive composition comprising:
- (i) mixing a wavelength-shift fluorophore comprising 7-diethylamino-4-methyl -coumarin with the thermoplastic adhesive composition;
- (ii) permitting solidification of the thermoplastic adhesive composition;
- (ii) measuring fluorescence intensity at two emission wavelengths, one on each side of peak fluorescence intensity, of the wavelength-shift fluorophore and determining a ratio therefrom;
- and
- (iv) comparing the ratio to one or more reference value(s) that correlates the ratio to a known degree of solidification of the thermoplastic adhesive composition.
A system for non-destructively determining the degree of polymerization of a polymerizable adhesive composition or solidification of a thermoplastic adhesive composition comprising:
- (i) a detection apparatus configured to detect fluorescence intensity of a wavelength-shift fluorophore present in the polymerizable adhesive composition or thermoplastic adhesive composition wherein the wavelength-shift fluorophore is exited by an excitation source and wherein the fluorophore is a fluorophore comprising 7-diethylamino-4-methyl-coumarin;
- (ii) an analyzer configured to determine a ratio of fluorescence intensity based on fluorescence intensity at two emission wavelengths, one on each side of peak fluorescence intensity, of the wavelength-shift fluorophore;
- and
- (iii) a correlating device configured to correlate the ratio with the degree of polymerization of the polymerizable composition or solidification of the thermoplastic adhesive composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.