Method of authenticating articles, authenticatable polymers, and authenticatable articles

摘要

Disclosed is a method for authenticating that an article is an authenticatable article. The method uses an optical tester, the optical tester comprising an electromagnetic radiation source and a detector. The authenticatable article comprises a heat responsive compound having a temperature dependent optical interaction with the electromagnetic radiation source in the presence of a heat stimulus to produce a heat induced electromagnetic radiation signature. The method comprises placing a test portion of the article in interaction with the electromagnetic radiation source of the optical tester, creating a heated portion by exposing the test portion of the article to a heat stimulus sufficient to raise the temperature of the test portion from a temperature T 1 to a temperature T 2, measuring the heat induced electromagnetic radiation signature of the heated portion with the detector, and authenticating that the article is an authenticatable article if the heat induced electromagnetic radiation signature is present.