High-intensity, persistent photoluminescent formulations and objects, and methods for creating the same

• US 8,163,201 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Performance Indicator, LLC
• Original Assignee: Performance Indicator, LLC
• Inventors: Agrawal, Satish, Kingsley, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Koslow, Carol M
• Application Number:
  US11/793,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20080185557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 252/301.36, 252/401.4 R, 252/401.4 S, 252/301.6 S, 252/301.4 R, 252/301.4 S, 252/301.4 F, 428/690
• US Class Current: 252/301.36
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/76 with means enabling use in the dark, other than powered illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/542 the two layers being cured or baked together
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/546 each layer being cured, at least partially, separately
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/02 Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 11/06 containing organic luminescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1007 Non-condensed systems
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2211/1088 containing oxygen as the only heteroatom
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 9/02 Organic tenebrescent materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31786 Of polyester [e.g., alkyd, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

Disclosed are photoluminescent formulations, comprising an effective amount of photoluminescent phosphorescent materials, which exhibit high luminous intensity and persistence. Also disclosed are photoluminescent objects formed by applying at least one photoluminescent layer, formed from photoluminescent formulations, to preformed articles. Further disclosed are methods for creating photoluminescent objects.

Claims

1. A photoluminescent object comprising:

(a) a preformed article; and

(b) at least one photoluminescent phosphorescent layer wherein said photoluminescent phosphorescent layer comprises a film resulting from at least one photoluminescent phosphorescent formulation that is substantially dry as characterized by the residual liquid carrier medium being in the range of about 1-5 weight % of the total weight of the film, and wherein said formulation before being substantially dry comprises;

(i) an effective amount of photoluminescent phosphorescent materials;

(ii) at least one liquid carrier medium;

(iii) at least one polymeric resin; and

(iv) formulation stabilizing additives;

said formulation stabilizing additives comprising a rheology modifier and a wetting agent;

wherein said formulation has an Film Transmission (FT) of at least 95.0%; and

wherein said photoluminescent phosphorescent materials are uniformly distributed within said formulation.

2. The photoluminescent object according to claim 1 wherein said photoluminescent phosphorescent materials are metal oxide aluminates activated by europium and at least one co-activator selected from the group consisting of dysprosium, lanthanum, cerium praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, tin, manganese, and bismuth, and wherein metal in said metal oxide aluminates is one or more of strontium, calcium, magnesium, and barium.

3. The photoluminescent object according to claim 1, further comprising:

(c) at least one reflective layer wherein said reflective layer results from a reflective formulation;

wherein said photoluminescent layer is located away from said preformed article, said reflective layer being disposed between said photoluminescent phosphorescent layer and said preformed article;

wherein said reflective layer is proximate to said preformed article; and

wherein said reflective layer is characterized by a reflectance such that the total emission from said object is greater than 80% relative to that of a white reflectance layer.

4. The photoluminescent object according to claim 3, wherein said photoluminescent phosphorescent materials are metal oxide aluminates activated by europium and at least one co-activator selected from the group consisting of dysprosium, lanthanum, cerium praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, tin, manganese, and bismuth, and wherein metal in said metal oxide aluminates is one or more of strontium, calcium, magnesium, and barium.

5. The photoluminescent object according to claim 1 wherein said photoluminescent phosphorescent materials are selected from conventional photoluminescent phosphorescent materials, a group consisting of alkaline-earth aluminates, alkaline-earth silicates, alkaline-earth aluminosilicates, and combinations thereof, or metal oxide aluminates activated by europium and at least one co-activator selected from a group consisting of dysprosium, lanthanum, cerium praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, tin, manganese, and bismuth, and wherein said metal is one or more of strontium, calcium, magnesium, and barium.

6. The photoluminescent object of claim 1 further comprising:

(c) at least one protective layer wherein said at least one protective layer results from a protective formulation, wherein said at least one protective layer is located away from said preformed article, wherein said photoluminescent phosphorescent layer is proximate to said preformed article, said photoluminescent phosphorescent layer being disposed between said at least one protective layer and said preformed article;

said at least one protective layer having a film transmitivity of at least 95%.

7. The photoluminescent object according to claim 6 further comprising:

(d) at least one reflective layer wherein said reflective layer results from a reflective formulation;

wherein said photoluminescent layer is located away from said preformed article, wherein said reflective layer is proximate to said preformed article;

said reflective layer being disposed between said photoluminescent phosphorescent layer and said preformed article; and

wherein said reflective layer is characterized by a reflectance such that the total emission from said object is greater than 80% relative to that of a white reflectance layer.

8. The photoluminescent object according to claim 6, wherein said protective layer further comprises photoluminescent fluorescent materials thereby resulting in a photoluminescent fluorescent protective layer.

9. The photoluminescent object according to claim 8, wherein said photoluminescent fluorescent protective layer further comprises photostabilizers.

10. The photoluminescent object according to claim 8, wherein at least some of said photoluminescent fluorescent materials are excitation-altering photoluminescent fluorescent materials, wherein said excitation-altering photoluminescent fluorescent materials increase the luminous intensity of said photoluminescent object.

11. The photoluminescent object according to claim 8, wherein said photoluminescent fluorescent materials are soluble in the a liquid carrier medium used in the protective formulation for said photoluminescent fluorescent protective layer.

12. The photoluminescent object according to claim 8, further comprising:

(e) at least one reflective layer wherein said reflective layer results from a reflective formulation;

wherein said photoluminescent layer is located away from said preformed article, wherein said reflective layer is proximate to said preformed article;

said reflective layer being disposed between said photoluminescent layer and said preformed article; and

wherein said reflective layer is characterized by a reflectance such that the total emission from said object is greater than 80% relative to that of a white reflectance layer.