Process for fluorimetric monitoring of functional coatings and structures used in the process and comprising a substrate and said functional coating

Claim 2

A process for monitoring functional coating compositions applied to a substrate comprising the steps: a) providing a functional coating composition comprising an effective amount of a uvescer that absorbs radiant energy of wavelength λ 1 and emits radiant energy of X 2 , λ 1 and À 2 each being wavelengths within the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; b) coating a substrate with a layer of said functional coating composition; c) scanning the resulting coating with radiant energy of wavelength range λ 1 ; d) detecting the radiant energy of wavelength range λ 2 emitted by said coating. e) optionally, curing said resulting coating by means of heat or exposure to actinic or to electron-beam radiation; and f) optionally, correlating said emitted radiant energy to independently measured standard weights or thicknesses, so as to measure coating weight, thickness, uniformity, or defects of said coating.

Claim 3

The process according to claim 1 wherein the functional coating composition is optionally a patern of marks, images, or codes and is selected from protective coatings, adhesive coatings, priming coatings, low adhesion backsize coatings, radiation-sensitive imageable coatings, and release coatings.

Claim 4

The process according to claims 1 and 2 wherein λ 1 is in the range of 240 to 400 nanometers and X 2 are wavelengths below 430 nanometers, no more than 30 percent of which has a wavelength above 400 nm.

Claim 5

The process according to claims 1 to 3 wherein said uvescer is a polycyclic aromatic compound that has a product (∈Ø) of molar extinction coefficient (e) and quantum yield (0) of at least 1000.

Claim 6

A composite structure comprising a substrate bearing a coating composition comprising a polymer or polymer precursor and an effective amount of a uvescer that absorbs radiant energy of wavelenth λ 1 and emits radiant energy of X 2 , λ 1 and À 2 being at least one wavelenth within the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Claim 7

A composite structure comprising a substrate bearing a coating composition comprising a polymer or polymer precursor and an effective amount of a uvescer that absorbs radiant energy of wavelenth λ 1 and emits radiant energy of X 2 , λ 1 and À 2 being at least one wavelenth within the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Claim 8

The composite structure according to claim 5 wherein said uvescer has the formula R[(̵ R I )̵ b X] a or R[(̵R 1 )̵ b Y] a wherein R is a group comprising at least one uvaphore and having a valence "a", the uvaphore being a polycyclic aromatic group and having two to four aromatic rings of which at least two are joined by a single bond or by fusion, the polycyclic aromatic compound absorbing radiant energy of wavelengths between 240 and 400 nm, emitting radiant energy below about 430 nm, no more than 30% of the emitted energy being above 400 nm, and having an (∈Ø) product of at least 1000 R 1 is an alkylene or alkenylene group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms; each X is independently hydrogen or a group B in which B is a reactive group that can react to form a covalent bond with a complementary reactive group present in the polymer or polymer precursor; each Y is a carbon-to-carbon single bond or a divalent connecting group resulting from the reaction of a reactive group attached to the uvaphore with a complementary reactive group present in the condensation or addition polymer; a is an integer having a value from one to three; and b is zero or one, b being one when X is hydrogen.

Claim 9

The composite structure according to claims 5 and 6 wherein said uvescer is selected from biphenyl, triphenylbenzene, fluorene, carbazole, terphenyl, quaterphenyl, triphenylene, naphthalene, 2,5-diphenylfuran, dibenzofuran, 2,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole, and their derivatives.

Claim 10

The composite structure according to claims 5 to 7 wherein said uvescer is selected from 1-naphthaleneisocyanate, 9-ailylcarbazole, -allylfluorene, 9-isocyanatofluorene, and 9-[(2-methacryloyloxy)-ethylcarbamoyl]fluorene.

Claim 11

The composite structure according to claims 5 to 8 wherein said coating composition has been cured by heat, actinic radiation or electron-beam radiation.

Claim 12

The composite structure according to claims 5 to 9 wherein said uvescer is a uvaphore-bearing polymer or a polymer precursor.

Claim 13

The composite structure according to claims 5 to 10 wherein said uvescer has the formula wherein R 6 is one or more of lower alkyl groups (C 1 to C 4 ) or phenyl groups, and c, d, and e are integers, the sum of which is 10 to 20,000, d is 0.01 % to 10% of the sum, and e is 5% to 95% of the sum, j, k and m are integers the sum of which is 10 to 10,000, k being from 0.01 to 10% of the sum of j, k and m, m being from zero to 99.5% of the sum of j, k and m, and n being an integer from 5 to 10,000, and p and q are integers, the ratio of p/q being 0.2/1 to 5/1 and the number averge molecular weights of the p and q containing polymers being 500 to 20,000.

Claim 14

The composite structure according to claims 5 to 11 wherein the functional coating composition is selected from protective coatings, adhesive coatings, priming coatings, low adhesion backsize coatings, radiation-sensitive imageable coatings, and release coatings.