Colorless Primer with UV-Fluorescent Dye for Stain-Free Inspection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional purple primers used in the construction industry leave permanent stains on surfaces due to their permanent color, which cannot be removed without damaging the surface, posing a challenge in accidental applications or spills on porous or plastic surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A colorless primer composition that uses fluorescent dyes detectable only under black light, which appear as purple when exposed to UV energy but return to a colorless state after the light is removed, ensuring compliance with industry codes without causing permanent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If traditional purple primer with permanent color dye is used, then visual inspection is enabled and primer application is detectable, but permanent stains are left on porous or plastic surfaces that cannot be removed without damaging the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies fluorescent dyes that change their optical properties based on lighting conditions. Under black light (UV), the dyes fluoresce and appear purple for detection purposes. Under normal visible light, the dyes remain invisible or colorless, preventing permanent staining. This resolves the contradiction by making the color detectable only when needed for inspection, not continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces black light (UV radiation) as an intermediary medium to enable detection. The fluorescent dyes act as mediators that convert UV energy to visible fluorescence. This intermediary system allows detection without requiring the primer to be permanently colored under normal lighting conditions, thus avoiding permanent stains on surfaces.
2Reliability
If permanent color dye is used in primer, then inspector can visually confirm primer application on pipe joints, but the stain cannot be removed by cleaning or abrading without severely scarring the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescent dyes change their color manifestation based on the presence of UV light. When UV light is present, the dyes fluoresce purple for reliable visual confirmation. When UV light is absent (normal conditions), the dyes remain invisible. This eliminates the permanence problem while maintaining reliability during inspection.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional purple primer is used, then the primer softens the plastic pipe surface for effective fusing, but the permanent color leaves unsightly stains on countertops, vinyl floors, and carpets through accidental contact or spills
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescent dyes maintain the functional properties of traditional primers (softening plastic pipe surfaces for effective fusing) while changing their visual properties. Under normal lighting, the dyes are invisible, preventing unsightly stains from accidental spills. Under black light, they fluoresce purple for detection. This resolves the contradiction between functional effectiveness and aesthetic harm.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The primer allows for visual inspection under black light without leaving stains on surfaces, maintaining its effectiveness over time and safety for use in potable water systems, as per NSF 61 standards, and does not discolor surfaces under natural or synthetic lighting.
Implementation Method 1
a colorless dye that is detectable only under a black light... under black light, sometimes referred to as ultra violet energy or long wave black light, the colorless dye appears as, e.g., purple
Data Source
AI summary
A primer formulated with a colorless dye detectable only under black light is provided. The present invention is non-detectable on a porous surface and color does not appear over time upon exposure to natural or synthetic lights. Under black light, sometimes referred to as ultra violet energy or long wave black light, the colorless dye appears as purple. However, once the black light is removed, the primer ceases to glow and returns to its natural, colorless state.