Hybrid chemical sensor, and, sensitive polymeric composition

• US 9,063,111 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Braskem SA, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul.
• Original Assignee: Braskem SA, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul.
• Inventors: Acevedo, Edwin Moncada, Pires, Gilvan Pozzobon, Dos Santos, Joo Henrique Zimnoch
• Primary Examiner(s): Soderquist, Arlen
• Application Number:
  US13/001,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20120009687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,192 Days
• Field of Search: 422/400, 422/402, 422/408, 422/416, 422/420, 422/430, 422 8205- 8209, 436 20- 21, 436111-113, 436/129, 436/133, 436135-136, 436163-164, 436/166, 436/169, 436/172
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/221 for investigating pH value
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/17 Nitrogen containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/173845 Amine and quaternary ammonium
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/175383 Ammonia

Abstract

The present invention relates to chemical sensors with hybrid characteristics, which are thermo-mechanically stable and able to respond to changes in the environment, particularly in the presence of amine and/or amide and/or oxide-reducing compounds, and/or vapor thereof by color change, as well as its incorporation into sensitive polymeric composition.

Claims

1. A hybrid chemical sensor comprising a sensitive compound completely dispersed within a polyolefin matrix and encapsulated by a hybrid capsule obtained by sol-gel reaction, said hybrid capsule using siliceous alkoxides or titanium alkoxides, wherein at least one of said alkoxides is substituted with one or more alkyl chains, wherein the hybrid chemical sensor responds to the presence of amine and/or amide and/or oxide-reducing compounds, and/or vapor thereof by color change after being dispersed through the polyolefin matrix, and wherein the hybrid chemical sensor is incorporated into the polyolefin matrix by extrusion and without any loss in chemical characteristics during polyolefin processing, and is used as an indicator of conditions in a particular environment in contact with said hybrid chemical sensor.

2. The hybrid chemical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid capsule is stable up to a temperature of 300°

C. and endures the shear stress generated in standard extruders.

3. The hybrid chemical sensor according to claim 1, wherein said siliceous alkoxides are selected from the group consisting of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), ethyltrimethoxysilane (ETMS), methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS), phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS), n-octylethoxysilane, or n-butylethoxysilane.

4. The hybrid chemical sensor according to claim 1, wherein said titanium alkoxides are selected from the group consisting of tetraethoxytitanium, ethyltriethoxytitanium, methyltriethoxytitanium, phenyltriethoxytitanium, n-octylethoxytitanium, or n-butylethoxytitanium.

5. The hybrid chemical sensor according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid chemical sensor presents a spherical, fibrillary, laminar or amorphous morphology.