Claims
- 1. A reversible thermometer composition comprising:solid particles of a thermally sensitive material dispersed in a matrix forming material wherein the matrix forming material is insoluble in and inert to the thermally sensitive material; and a nucleating agent mechanically dispersed in the matrix forming material at a temperature below the melting point of the solid particles of the thermally responsive material.
- 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is reversibly responsive to changes in temperature at a predetermined temperature.
- 3. The composition of claim 1, further comprising a means for visually observing a change in state of the thermally sensitive material from a solid to a liquid substantially at a predetermined temperature.
- 4. The composition of claim 3, wherein the means for visually observing comprises an indicator selected from the group consisting of a dye and an organic moiety.
- 5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the matrix forming material is selected from the group consisting of polyisobutylene, low density polyethylene, amorphous polypropylene, and mixtures thereof.
- 6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the matrix forming material is polyisobutylene.
- 7. The composition of claim 3, wherein the matrix forming material is selected from the group consisting of polyisobutylene, low density polyethylene, amorphous polypropylene, and mixtures thereof.
- 8. The composition of claim 7, wherein the matrix forming material is polyisobutylene.
- 9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the thermally sensitive material comprises a solid solution of o-chloronitrobenzene and o-bromonitrobenzene.
- 10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the nucleating agent comprises an anthraquinone.
- 11. The composition of claim 4, wherein the means for visually observing is an organic moiety selected from the group consisting of pinacyanol iodide, a mixture of ethyl red and bromophenol red, a mixture of ethyl red and bromocresolpurple, and a mixture of ethyl red and bromophenol blue.
- 12. A thermometer comprising:a heat conducting carrier having a multiplicity of different compositions thereon, wherein each composition comprises solid particles of a thermally sensitive material dispersed in a matrix forming material wherein the matrix forming material is insoluble in and inert to the thermally sensitive material; and a nucleating agent mechanically dispersed in the matrix forming material at a temperature below the melting point of the solid particles of the thermally responsive material.
- 13. The thermometer of claim 12, wherein each composition has a different formulation of thermally sensitive material from each other composition and wherein each composition is reversibly responsive to changes in temperature at a predetermined temperature.
- 14. The thermometer of claim 12, wherein the composition further comprises a means for visually observing a change in state of the thermally sensitive material from a solid to a liquid substantially at a predetermined temperature.
- 15. The thermometer of claim 14, wherein the means for visually observing comprises an indicator is a dye or an organic moiety selected from the group consisting of pinacyanol iodide, a mixture of ethyl red and bromophenol red, a mixture of ethyl red and bromocresolpurple, and a mixture of ethyl red and bromophenol blue.
- 16. The thermometer of claim 12, wherein the matrix forming material is selected from the group cinsisting of polyisobutylene, low density polyethylene, amorphous polypropylene, and mixtures thereof.
- 17. The thermometer of claim 16, wherein the matrix forming material is polyisobutylene.
- 18. The thermometer of claim 17, wherein the thermally sensitive material comprises a solid solution of o-chloronitrobenzene and o-bromonitrobenzene.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of Ser No. 08/425,162 filed Apr. 25, 1995, which is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/191,254 filed May 6, 1994.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/191254 |
May 1994 |
US |
Child |
08/425162 |
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US |