UV Curable Resin Fluorescent Cure Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for confirming the completion of curing in UV curable resins are inadequate, as they rely on hardness tests that do not accurately reflect the curing status beneath the surface, particularly in fiberglass repairs.
Innovation Solution
A UV curable resin that changes color from blue to bright orange when exposed to UVA LED light within the 365-405 nm wavelength range, indicating full cure, allowing for visual confirmation of the curing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hardness tests are performed on the outside surface to validate curing, then surface hardness can be measured, but the curing level underneath the surface cannot be accurately determined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates fluorescent particles into the UV curable resin that emit visible light (e.g., orange glow) when exposed to UV radiation during curing. This color change from non-fluorescent to fluorescent state provides direct visual indication of the curing progress throughout the entire resin depth, eliminating the need for complex hardness testing while achieving accurate curing validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical hardness testing with an optical detection method using fluorescent particles. Instead of applying mechanical force to measure surface hardness, the system uses UV light excitation and fluorescent emission to non-contactly visualize the curing state throughout the resin, providing both surface and subsurface curing information simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If visual inspection is used to confirm curing completion, then quality control is simplified, but accurate determination of curing status is difficult without specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescent particles embedded in the resin emit visible light when exposed to UV radiation during curing. The intensity and presence of this fluorescence directly correlate with the degree of curing, allowing operators to visually assess curing completion with the naked eye or simple cameras, achieving both operational simplicity and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fluorescent particles as an intermediary substance that translates the invisible chemical curing process into visible optical signals. These particles absorb UV energy during curing and re-emit it as visible fluorescence, serving as a mediator that makes the curing state directly observable without complex instrumentation.
3Reliability
If traditional curing validation methods are used, then surface hardness can be assessed, but nondestructive testing of internal curing is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces destructive mechanical testing with nondestructive optical observation. The fluorescent particles allow the entire curing process to be visualized in real-time without applying mechanical stress or removing material samples, ensuring both high reliability and nondestructive assessment of curing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluorescent indication persists throughout the entire curing process and remains visible until curing is complete, providing continuous feedback on the curing state. This continuous visual signal ensures reliable validation without interrupting the curing process or requiring destructive sampling at intermediate stages.
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
Enables nondestructive, visual validation of the curing process, enhancing quality control by providing a clear, visible indicator of resin cure completion.
Implementation Method 1
This resin will change from the blue of the LED light to an orange while the LED light is on. The fluorescent orange color goes away when the LED light is removed.
Data Source
AI summary
A resin curable by ultraviolet light (UV). More particularly, a resin that changes color during curing to provide confirmation of the completion of curing. The curable resin changes color from the blue of an LED light to an orange while LED light is on the resin and the orange color goes away when LED light is removed.