Fluorescent detection of curing difference between surfaces

摘要

Pyrene can be used as a fluorescent probe for various industrial purposes. For example, it can be included in photocurable or thermally curable compositions and monitoring the fluorescence emission spectra before and after some curing will provide an indication of how much curing has occurred. Such monitoring can be carried out multiple times during a manufacturing process. Monitoring can also be done at different locations of a composition such as at inner and outer surfaces of a photocured or thermally cured layer.

主权项

1. A method for determining the extent of curing in a layer of a photocurable or thermally curable composition, the method comprising:
providing a dried layer of a photocurable or thermally curable composition over a supporting side of a transparent polymeric substrate, the dried layer having an outermost surface and an innermost surface, and the photocurable or thermally curable composition comprising a photocurable or thermally curable component and pyrene, exposing the photocurable or thermally curable composition to form an at least partially photocured or thermally cured composition in an at least partially photocured or thermally cured dried layer having an innermost surface and an outermost surface, determining a first fluorescence emission spectrum emitted by the pyrene at the innermost surface of the at least partially photocured or thermally cured dried layer, determining a second fluorescence emission spectrum emitted by the pyrene at the outermost surface of the at least partially photocured or thermally cured dried layer, comparing the first fluorescence emission spectrum and the second fluorescence emission spectrum to determine any difference in curing between the outermost surface and the innermost surface of the at least partially photocured or thermally cured dried layer.