Monitoring technology
First Claim
1. An infrared spectroscopy system for monitoring the processing of a polymeric material comprisinga source of infrared radiation for generating a beam of infrared radiation,infrared spectrum analyzing means,an infrared radiation transmission fiber that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion adapted to be embedded in the polymeric material to be monitored, andmeans for coupling said transmission fiber to said source to transmit a beam of infrared radiation through said fiber to said sensor portion and for coupling said fiber to said infrared spectrum analyzing means for analyzing the resulting spectra as said polymeric material is processed to provide kinetic information on the processing of said polymeric material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu compositional changes in a polymeric material comprises the steps of providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion, embedding the sensor portion in the polymeric material to be monitored, subjecting the polymeric material to a processing sequence, applying a beam of infrared radiation to the fiber for transmission through the transmitting portion to the sensor portion for modification as a function of properties of the polymeric material, monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as the polymeric material is being subjected to the processing sequence to obtain kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during the processing sequence, and adjusting the processing sequence as a function of the kinetic data provided by the modified infrared radiation spectra information.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An infrared spectroscopy system for monitoring the processing of a polymeric material comprising
a source of infrared radiation for generating a beam of infrared radiation, infrared spectrum analyzing means, an infrared radiation transmission fiber that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion adapted to be embedded in the polymeric material to be monitored, and means for coupling said transmission fiber to said source to transmit a beam of infrared radiation through said fiber to said sensor portion and for coupling said fiber to said infrared spectrum analyzing means for analyzing the resulting spectra as said polymeric material is processed to provide kinetic information on the processing of said polymeric material.
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10. A process for infrared spectroscopic monitoring of insitu compositional changes in a polymeric material comprising the steps of
providing an elongated infrared radiation transmitting fiber that has a transmission portion and a sensor portion, embedding said sensor portion in the polymeric material to be monitored, subjecting said polymeric material to a processing sequence, applying a beam of infrared radiation to said fiber for transmission through said transmitting portion to said sensor portion for modification as a function of properties of the polymeric material, and monitoring the modified infrared radiation spectra as said polymeric material is being subjected to said processing sequence to obtain kinetic data on changes in the polymeric material during the processing sequence.
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18. A system for insitu infrared spectroscopic monitoring of a polymer-fiber matrix to provide kinetic information during the curing of the polymeric constituent of said polymeric fiber matrix, said polymer-fiber matrix including alternating layers of fibers and polymer resins, comprising
a plurality of infrared radiation transmitting fibers, each said fiber having a transmission portion and a sensor portion, the sensor portions of said fibers being adapted to be embedded in spaced relation in said layers of polymer resin, a source of infrared radiation for generating a beam of infrared radiation, means for coupling said transmitting fibers to said source to transmit infrared radiation through said fibers to said sensor portions, infrared spectrum analyzing means, and means for coupling said fibers to said infrared spectrum analyzing means for analyzing the resulting infrared spectra as said polymer resin constituents are being cured to provide kinetic information on the curing of said polymer resins.
Specification