METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR IDENTIFYING PHOTOCATALYTIC COATINGS

• US 20070109543A1
• Filed: 11/07/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardinal IG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal CG Company (Cardinal Glass Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hoffman, Wayne, Knoble, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,679,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0625 with measurement of absorption or reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8427 Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/55 Specular reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8422 Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for identifying the presence of thin photocatalytic (PCAT) coatings on glass surfaces. An apparatus is disclosed that can determine whether a PCAT coating (which may comprise titanium dioxide, for example) having a thickness of less than about 100 Å is present on the surface of a substrate such as glass. The apparatus may measure the reflectance of electromagnetic energy (such as light energy) at the surface of a substrate using energy at selected wavelengths or wavelength ranges. The apparatus may determine reflectance values for PCAT coated surfaces of any thickness, as well as for uncoated surfaces.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a source of light energy, at least a portion of the light energy having a wavelength below about 350 nanometers (nm);

directing light energy from the source toward the surface of the substrate;

detecting light energy reflected from the surface of the substrate;

measuring an intensity level of the reflected light energy at wavelengths below about 350 nm; and

determining whether a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of the substrate based on the measured intensity level of reflected light energy at wavelengths below about 350 nm.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence of a titanium-containing photocatalytic coating on the surface of the substrate is determined.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the presence of a photocatalytic coating on a surface of a glass substrate is determined.

4. A device for determining whether a photocatalytic coating is present on a surface of a substrate comprising:

a source of light energy having wavelengths below about 350 nanometers (nm);

means for directing the light energy from the source toward a surface of the substrate;

detector means for detecting light energy reflected from the surface of the substrate;

measuring means for measuring an intensity level of light energy reflected from the surface of the substrate; and

processing means for determining whether a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of the substrate based on the measured intensity level of reflected light energy.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the light energy comprises laser energy having wavelengths below about 350 nm.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the laser energy has wavelengths between about 250 and 320 nm.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the laser energy has a wavelength of about 280 nm.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the laser energy includes a range of wavelengths that spans less than about 10 nm.

9. The device of claim 4 further comprising a filter adapted to allow reflected light energy within a specified range of wavelengths to pass through to the detector means.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the specified range of wavelengths falls between about 250 and 320 nm.

11. The device of claim 4 wherein the means for directing the light energy is adapted to direct the light energy toward the surface of the substrate at an angle of incidence between about 0 and 89 degrees.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the angle of incidence is between about 1 and 45 degrees.

13. The device of claim 4 wherein the processing means is further adapted to calculate reflectance using the measured intensity of light energy reflected from the surface of the substrate.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the processing means is further adapted to determine that a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of the substrate when calculated reflectance is greater than a specified amount.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the processing means is adapted to determine that a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of the substrate when calculated reflectance is greater than about 9%.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the processing means is further adapted to determine that a photocatalytic coating is not present on the surface of the substrate when calculated reflectance is less than a specified amount.

17. The device of claim 4 wherein the light energy comprises an LED.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the LED has a wavelength of about 280 nm.

19. A method of determining whether a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a source of light energy;

directing electromagnetic energy from the source toward the surface of the substrate;

detecting electromagnetic energy reflected from the surface of the substrate;

measuring an intensity level of the reflected electromagnetic energy; and

determining whether a photocatalytic coating is present on the surface of the substrate based on the measured intensity level of the reflected electromagnetic energy,

wherein the photocatalytic coating has a thickness of less than about 200 angstroms.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the photocatalytic coating has a thickness of less than about 100 angstroms.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein at least a portion of the electromagnetic energy directed toward the surface of the substrate comprises energy having wavelengths below about 350 nanometers (nm).

22. A method of measuring the thickness of a photocatalytic coating on a surface of a glass substrate, the method comprising:

providing a source of light energy, at least a portion of the light energy having a wavelength below about 350 nanometers (nm);

directing light energy from the source toward the surface of the glass substrate;

detecting light energy reflected from the surface of the glass substrate;

measuring an intensity level of the reflected light energy at wavelengths below about 350 nm; and

determining the thickness of a photocatalytic coating on the surface of the glass substrate based on the measured intensity level of reflected light energy at wavelengths below about 350 nm.

23. An apparatus for measuring the thickness of a photocatalytic coating on a glass substrate comprising:

a source of light energy having wavelengths below about 350 nanometers (nm);

means for directing the light energy from the source toward a surface of the substrate;

detector means for detecting light energy reflected from the surface of the substrate;

measuring means for measuring an intensity level of light energy reflected from the surface of the substrate; and

processing means for determining the thickness of a photocatalytic coating on the surface of the glass substrate based on the measured intensity level of reflected light energy at wavelengths below about 350 nm.