Color-changing composition

• US 8,784,689 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Song, Xuedong
• Primary Examiner(s): COLE, MONIQUE T
• Application Number:
  US13/178,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 422/400, 422/420, 436/164, 436/169, 604/358, 604/361, 252/408.1
• US Class Current: 252/408.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/51496 having visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/422 the alarm being a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2013/8497 having decorations or indicia means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/56 Wetness-indicators or colourants
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/78 producing a change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/81 Indicating humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/22 using chemical indicators G01N31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/222 for investigating moisture content

Abstract

The present invention relates to a color-changing composition and a multiple-component material including a substrate and a printed layer on the substrate. The printed layer includes a color-changing composition to indicate a change in condition, such as a change in wetness. The color-changing composition includes a matrix-forming component, a leuco dye, a Lewis Acid, a neutral surfactant and an organic solvent.

Claims

1. A homogenous, color-changing liquid composition comprising:

a matrix-forming component;

a leuco dye;

a Lewis Acid;

a neutral surfactant; and

an organic solvent;

wherein the color-changing composition is capable of changing color when contacted by an aqueous-based liquid, causing the Lewis Acid to dissociate from the leuco dye.

2. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein a molar ratio of the Lewis Acid to leuco dye ranges from 2 to 50.

3. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of the neutral surfactant to leuco dye is less than 10.

4. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the matrix-forming component is selected from one or more water-insoluble, film-forming polymers and copolymers.

5. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 4, wherein the water-insoluble, film-forming polymers and copolymers are selected from acrylate/acrylamide copolymers, polyurethane adhesives, methyl cellulose and copolymers of vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide.

6. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the matrix-forming component is selected from a varnish and a small molecule and/or polymeric material.

7. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the color-changing composition includes more than one leuco dye.

8. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the leuco dye is selected from fluoran leuco dyes, phthalide-type leuco dyes and mixtures thereof.

9. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the color-changing composition includes more than one Lewis Acid.

10. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the Lewis acid is selected from zinc salts, iron salts of chloride and salicylate and mixtures thereof.

11. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the color-changing composition includes more than one neutral surfactant.

12. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1 wherein the neutral surfactant is selected from polyethylene glycol-based surfactants, polyoxyalkylene-based surfactants and mixtures thereof.

13. The homogenous color-changing composition of claim 1, wherein the color-changing composition includes more than one organic solvent.

14. A multiple-component material, the material comprising:

a substrate and a printed layer on the substrate, wherein the printed layer includes a homogenous color-changing composition comprising;

a matrix-forming component;

a leuco dye;

a Lewis Acid; and

a neutral surfactant

wherein the Lewis Acid is capable of dissociating from the leuco dye when contacted by an aqueous solution, thereby changing the color of the homogeneous color-changing composition.

15. The multiple-component material of claim 14, wherein the substrate is a non-woven material.

16. The multiple-component material of claim 14, wherein the substrate is a polyolefin film.

17. A disposable absorbent article including the multiple-component material of claim 14 as part of an outer cover.

18. The multiple-component material of claim 14, wherein the printed layer is formed on the substrate in one or more patterns selected from stripes, dots, geometric shapes, irregular shapes, alpha-numeric characters, anthropomorphic images, pictorial representation of animals, pictorial representation of inanimate objects, cartoon characters, logos and trademarks.

19. A disposable absorbent article including a multiple-component material, the material comprising:

a substrate and a film layer on the substrate, wherein the film layer includes a color-changing composition comprising;

20% to 95% of a matrix-forming component;

0.1% to 10% of a leuco dye;

1% to 20% of a Lewis Acid; and

2% to 50% of a neutral surfactant

wherein the Lewis Acid is capable of dissociating from the leuco dye when contacted by an aqueous solution, thereby causing a color-change of the homogeneous color-changing composition.