1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to materials testing and in particular to improvements in optical rheometric testing.
2. Background of the Invention
Rheometers are widely used to measure viscoelastic properties of fluid materials such as liquids, polymers, and granular solids. As used herein, the term “rheometer” encompasses instruments also referred to as viscometers or viscosometers. A common type of rheometer is a rotational rheometer that typically involves a central shaft attached to a rotating element placed in a sample container. Two distinct types of rotational rheometers are commonly used: a separate motor and transducer (SMT) rheometer and a combined motor and transducer (CMT) rheometer.
For many applications, in addition to studying viscoelastic response, it is desirable to record fluid optical properties and changes in optical properties in-situ in a rheometer. For example, using a light source, such as stationary laser 110, optical properties can be monitored together with viscoleastic response of fluid 108 when plate 106 is rotated. Sample optical properties such as dichroism, birefringence, and small-angle light scattering can typically be measured using the arrangement of system 100 or similar arrangements. When laser light passes through rotating plate 106 and fluid 108, the optical signal, or change in optical signal can be used to determine certain fluid optical properties such as those listed above. For example, taking into account the optical properties of plate 106, the dichroism or birefringence of fluid 108 can be determined.
Known rheometer systems that include such capability to determine fluid optical properties could in principle be used to study such fluid phenomena such as stress induced birefringence, liquid crystalline transitions, order-disorder transitions, in-situ study of curing reactions, and the like. For example, measured changes in dichroism attributable to fluid 108 can be related to such phenomena as phase separation or phase change in the fluid. However, because of unwanted background interference with an optical signal generated by rheometer components, in-situ measurement of optical properties of a sample is often compromised, as discussed below with further reference to
For example, to account for the effect on signal attenuation due to optical plate 106, a background optical measurement of optical plate 106 could be performed in the absence of an experimental sample. Thus, optical plate 106 can be placed into measurement position and exposed to laser 110 so that laser light passes through plate 111 at point C and plate 106 at point A. This provides a “background” optical signal due to attenuation of the laser by the optical plate 106, which can be recorded by detector 114. Referring now to
In the parallel plate rheometer geometry illustrated in
In one embodiment of the present invention, a rheometric system having improved optical measurement capabilities includes an optical encoder coupled to a rotating shaft. The encoder is configured to detect a rotational position of the shaft with respect to a reference position. Preferably, the encoder is configured to provide rotational position (also termed “angular position”) information over an entire rotation range of the shaft. The system forwards rotational information to a memory so that the rotational information can be correlated to other concurrent measurements, such as optical measurements. The system also includes an optical rotation plate mechanically fastenable to the rotating shaft and configured to rotate within a fluid. A laser is provided to probe optical properties of a sample placed in a sample chamber that encloses the optical rotation plate. The system further includes a detector for measuring laser light scattered or transmitted through the sample chamber. The detector is coupled to a memory that stores optical data collected after the laser light impinges on an experimental fluid sample in the sample chamber. As used herein; the terms “experimental fluid sample,” “fluid sample” or “experimental sample” refer to a fluid to be tested by one or more measurements, so that property measurements of the fluid sample can be studied, in contrast to other fluids that may or may not be used to perform calibrations, background measurements, or other functions, but are themselves not the subject of the experiment.
In one example of the invention, experimental fluid sample optical data is collected by passing the laser light through the experimental fluid sample during rotation of the optical plate, such that point by point measurements corresponding to different points along a circumference of the plate are collected, and subsequently stored in the memory. Preferably, the experimental fluid sample optical data is stored as a data structure that creates a point by point mapping of a rotational position of the sample plate with the optical data collected thereat. Background sample optical data collected when no experimental fluid sample is present can likewise be measured point by point as a function of rotational position of the optical rotation plate, and stored in a data structure. A program or routine is provided that can compare point by point along the optical rotation plate the background optical data with the experimental sample optical data. Comparison can be performed, for example, by subtracting each background optical measurement from its corresponding experimental sample optical measurement at any given set of common points on the optical plate. In this manner, much more sensitive and accurate optical data can be collected from the experimental fluid sample.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for improved measurement of optical properties of a fluid in a rheometer includes the steps of: providing a light beam towards a rotatable optical plate; recording background optical measurements of light from the light beam transmitted through the rotatable optical plate when the optical plate is arranged at a set of angular positions; mapping the set of angular positions to the respective background optical measurements; providing a fluid sample in intimate contact with the rotatable optical plate; recording sample optical measurements of light from the light beam transmitted through the rotatable optical plate (also simply termed “optical plate”) and fluid sample when the optical plate is arranged at the set of predetermined angular positions; mapping the set of angular positions to the respective sample optical measurements; mapping the background optical measurements to the sample optical measurements based on the set of angular positions; and manipulating respective sample optical measurements and background optical measurements to produce a set of background corrected optical fluid sample data.
a and 1b, respectively depict a side view of a known rheometer with and without fluid sample present.
c depicts a plan view of the rheometer of
a and 2b-c depict a side view and plan views, respectively, of a system that provides improved optical measurement capability during rheometric measurement, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
a and 3b illustrate possible sample curves obtained according to the operation of the system of
a depicts features of a system 200 that provides improved optical measurement capability during rheometric measurement, according to an embodiment of the present invention. System 200 provides the capability of performing rheometric measurements of fluid samples 209 placed between plates 206 and 208. System 200 also includes the capability of making optical measurements of fluid samples using laser 210 and detector 214. System 200 and other additional embodiments of this invention will be also referred to as a “rheometer” although it will be understood that the system provides for optical measurements in addition to “rheometric” measurements, such as shear stress and strain.
Rotatable shaft 204 is driven by a motor (not shown) and can rotate or oscillate around an axis parallel to the long direction of the shaft. Rotatable optical plate 206 is mechanically fastenable to and removable from shaft 204. When fastened to shaft 204, optical plate 206 rotates in unison with shaft 204. Properties of a fluid sample placed in system 200 can be measured in a number of ways. For example, rotation of optical plate 206 above module 208 can be used to introduce a shear force within a fluid sample (see
Laser 210 can be used as a probe to facilitate measurement of optical properties of a fluid sample. For example, while a rotation or oscillation is introduced into optical plate 206, laser 210 can emit incident beam 211 which can pass through fluid sample 209 and optical plate 206, forming transmitted beam 212 that is received at detector 214. Preferably, optical plate 206 is a relatively transparent material, so that the intensity of transmitted beam 212 can be readily measured. An incoming transmitted light signal from transmitted beam 212 can be formed in detector 214 and sent to processor 216 for storage in a memory 217. Thus, optical properties of a fluid sample can be measured and stored concurrently with measurement of viscoelastic properties. As described further below, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, system 200 provides the ability to correct a series of experimental optical measurements performed with a fluid sample present, by mapping the experimental measurements to a respective series of “background” optical measurements performed in the absence of a fluid sample.
System 200 further includes post-laser module 208. Laser 210 and post-laser module 208 comprise a lead optics module (not shown). In one embodiment of the present invention, post laser module 208 includes, in consecutive order between laser 210 and rotating optical plate 206, a polarizer, photoelastic modulator (PEM), quarter wave plate and heating plate that substantially passes an incident beam (all not shown). Post-laser module 208 thus provides an arrangement to polarize beam 211 emitted from laser 210 and conduct birefringence experiments by manipulating beam 211 using the polarizer, PEM and quarter wave plate, and by measuring transmitted beam 212 after it passes through an analyzer (not shown). For example, a photoelastic modulator contained in module 208 can be used to receive a polarized beam passing out of the polarizer and to pass a modulated beam that contains one component of the polarized beam that is retarded with respect to a second component. After interacting with optical plate 206 and fluid sample 209, polarized components of beam 212 can be passed through an analyzer and exit as an analyzed beam recorded by detector 214. The analyzed beam can provide information useful in determining birefringence, dichroism and other related fluid sample properties that admit of study using polarized beams.
System 200 includes position transducer 218 that is capable of registering a position of rotating shaft 204 with respect to a reference point (not shown). Preferably, position transducer 218 is a rotation optical encoder attached to shaft 204 for registering an angular position of a point on shaft 204 with respect to a reference point.
In the example shown in
In one embodiment of the present invention, a set of background optical measurements is taken by detector 214 as optical plate 206 is rotated through a rotation arc. The set of optical measurements is mapped to a corresponding set of plate positions, such that each optical measurement is associated with a distinct plate position on optical plate 206. Since optical plate 206 rotates in unison with encoder 218, the set of distinct plate positions can be denoted, for example, by reference to a set of corresponding encoder positions, as described above. In one embodiment, the set of background optical measurements is taken at equally spaced angular intervals over an entire 360 degree arc of optical plate 206. The background optical measurements can be taken in an empty rheometer without any fluid, or in the presence of a fluid medium that assists in optical measurement, for example, an index-matching fluid described below.
Subsequently, a set of experimental optical measurements of transmitted beam 212 is recorded by detector 214 when optical plate 206 is rotated through a set of specified plate positions in the presence of fluid sample 209 whose properties are to be studied. In one embodiment of the present invention, the experimental optical measurements can be performed simultaneous with viscloelastic measurements. Preferably, the specified plate positions corresponding to the set of experimental optical measurements have a one to one correspondence with the set of plate positions used for background optical measurement. In other words, for each plate position in which a background optical measurement is recorded, a corresponding experimental sample measurement is also recorded. Accordingly, a background optical measurement for each recorded position of optical plate 206 can be mapped to a corresponding experimental fluid sample optical measurement taken at the same plate position. In this manner, the background optical data for any given recorded point on plate 206 can be used to correct the experimental fluid sample optical data at that point. For example, processor 216 could perform a correction of experimental fluid sample data using the background data and a program or routine designed to manipulate the experimental data, such as subtracting the background data from the experimental sample data. In this manner, the background contribution caused by even a large variation in optical plate properties over region 220 can be effectively be eliminated from experimental data, as illustrated in the conceptual diagrams of
In
A set of measurements that produce “background” curve O can be taken shortly before or shortly after those for curve SO are obtained. The data for curve O are produced when no experimental fluid sample is present. The peaks and valleys in curve O can be attributed to non-uniformity in laser light absorption as a function of plate position on optical plate 206. Preferably, both curves SO and O are taken at the same set of plate positions. Curve O can be compared to curve SO to extract a curve S that is representative of light absorption of the fluid sample alone. For example, the comparison of curves SO and O can involve a simple subtraction of the latter from the former. In this case, the fluid sample is shown to have uniform absorption as a function of position.
b shows a similar set of curves to those of
Notably, although in the example shown in
Although, the above example in
Similarly, the term “point by point” subtraction refers to the subtraction of a first set of data comprising a plurality of optical values from a second set of data comprising a second plurality of optical values, wherein each datum within the first set of data corresponds to the same plate location (point) as that of the datum in the second set of data from which the datum in the first set is subtracted.
In step 400, a light beam is directed towards a rotatable optical plate located within the rheometric system. Generally, the rotatable optical plate is configured to impart stress or strain to an experimental fluid sample placed in the rheometric system, either by rotation or oscillation of the plate. Generally, the rotatable optical plate is substantially transparent so that light transmission measurements of a beam passing through the plate and a proximate fluid sample can be easily performed. The light beam may comprise a collimated beam, a laser beam, or other convenient light source. The light beam can be a circularly polarized beam, a linearly polarized beam, or an unpolarized beam. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light beam forms a substantially normal angle of incidence with respect to the plane of the optical plate.
In step 402, a set of background optical measurements are recorded at a set of angular positions of the optical plate. The background optical measurements are performed when no experimental fluid sample is present. In one embodiment, background measurements are conducted with no fluid whatever present in the measurement chamber of the rheometric system, so that the optical data stored from the measurements represents the effects of light interaction with the optical plate alone. In other embodiments, a background measurement fluid is present in the measurement chamber during the background optical measurements. In such a case, the recorded optical data represents effects on an incident light beam of both the rotating optical plate and the background measurement fluid. For example, in step 402, a background (index matched) measurement fluid whose refractive index substantially matches the index of refraction of the experimental fluid sample may be used.
Such a procedure is useful to account for optical plate/fluid interface effects that occur due to mismatch between the refractive index of the optical plate and the actual fluid sample. By emulating the refractive index of the fluid sample in a background measurement, both attenuation of incident light due to the optical plate, and scattering of the light beam at the fluid/optical plate interface can be subtracted or otherwise used to correct for actual experimental fluid sample optical data, which in general reflects the effects of the optical plate, the plate/fluid interface, and the fluid sample optical properties of interest (such as birefringence, dichroism, etc.) on a light beam. Examples of index matching fluids that can be employed in a background measurement in step 402 include the actual solvent to be used in an experimental fluid sample to be subsequently measured, such as a polymer solution; a low molecular weight polymer or oligomer fluid that is related to the polymer fluid to be studied in the experimental fluid sample; a monomer fluid precursor of a polymer fluid to be studied in the experimental fluid sample.
The set of angular plate positions on an optical plate can be chosen in different ways. In one embodiment, equally spaced measurements can be made along an entire circumference of a circle by determining the rotational period of the optical plate (the time required to make one revolution) and taking measurements at equally spaced time intervals where each interval is an integral divisor of the rotational period. In one embodiment of the present invention, the absolute spacing between adjacent positions of the set of angular positions is such that the incident beam does intersect overlapping optical plate regions in adjacent positions. For example, in preferred embodiments of the present invention, the incident beam is fixed to intersect the optical plate at a predetermined radial distance r from the center of the optical plate. When the optical plate rotates, a given angular spacing (□) between adjacent positions corresponds to an absolute spacing D, based on the magnitude of r. For small D˜rsin □. Thus, for example, in the case of a 1 mm diameter laser beam at a radius r, □ can be chosen so that D exceeds 1 mm.
In other words, as the optical plate undergoes rotation, only plate positions (at radius r) corresponding to the designated angular positions are measurable by the laser beam. The size (diameter) of each measurable portion of the optical plate is determined by the diameter of the laser beam. Thus, for example, to avoid overlap, wherein a given portion of the optical plate is measured both at a first angular position and an adjacent angular position, the angular spacing is set such that the center to center distance (D) of the adjacent portions is greater than the beam diameter of the laser beam when it intersects the optical plate. Accordingly, measurable portions of the optical plate are laser-beam-diameter-sized areas of the optical plate that correspond to the designated angular positions to be measured. Portions of the optical plate lying between adjacent measurable portions are not measured. However, in other embodiments □ can be chosen such that D is less than the beam diameter, and the incident beam does overlap plate regions in adjacent positions.
In step 404, the set of background optical measurements is mapped to a respective set of plate angular positions, as described in the following discussion. Each given optical measurement recorded in step 402 can be correlated (mapped) to a portion of the optical plate that intercepts the light beam used to produce the given optical measurement, by noting the angular position of a rotating point with respect to a fixed reference point when the optical measurement is made. For example, referring again to
Data structure 224b represents a similar arrangement to that of 224a, where each column represents a time stamp and corresponding plate angular position. Preferably, the set of time stamps in 224a and 224b are substantially the same. Thus, a triggering event that triggers both position transducer 218 to output angular position data and detector 214 to record optical measurement data, can result in substantially the same time stamp for both sets of data. Data structures 224a and 224b can then be combined into data structure 224c as illustrated. Data structure 224c, which represents the mapping of predetermined optical plate angular positions to corresponding optical measurements, thus contains a set of background optical measurements BA (n=1-360) and corresponding optical plate positions that represent the respective angular positions of an optical plate (for example, plate 206) with respect to a reference at the time when the set of optical measurements are recorded.
In the example of
As mentioned above, the angular spacing between adjacent recorded plate angular positions that is represented in the columns of data structure 224c is determined by a combination of optical plate rotational speed and the time interval between recorded measurements. As is known to those of ordinary skill, modem encoders can resolve angular position in microradian increments. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, the values Pn (□) of optical plate positions that are stored in data structure 224c can be recorded with microradian precision. Thus, referring to the example of
In one embodiment of the invention, optical data is mapped according to plate angular position based on multiple revolutions of an optical plate. For example, the entries of data structure 224c could represent average values taken over a series of optical plate rotations. In embodiments of the present invention where the position transducer is a rotary optical encoder, a fixed reference point can be used to register the passing of a rotating point (see P, R of
In step 406 an experimental fluid sample whose properties are to be measured is supplied in a rheometer chamber such that it makes intimate contact with a rotating optical plate.
In step 408 fluid sample optical measurements are recorded at a set of times, and subsequently mapped to those plate angular positions corresponding to the set of times. Thus, referring to
In step 410, the set of background optical measurements is mapped to the set of fluid sample optical measurements. Referring to
In step 412, a set of optical data is produced that corresponds to the fluid sample data corrected for the background optical data. In the embodiment of the present invention represented in
In the data structures illustrated in
The above procedure facilitates lowering of detection limits and sensitivity for optical properties of fluids to be studied in-situ in a rheometer in conjunction with viscoelastic properties. As mentioned before with reference to
Although discussed with respect to transmitted light sample measurements, the method described in
The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. Thus, embodiments in which more sophisticated signal processing schemes are used to map background optical plate data to experimental fluid sample are contemplated. Additionally, the mapping procedures disclosed in
Moreover, background optical measurements and experimental fluid sample optical measurements need not be conducted using the same set of plate angular positions to fall within the scope of this invention, provided that the background and experimental sets of measurements include overlapping regions on an optical plate (for example, one or more plate angular positions in common) from which background corrected experimental sample data can be obtained. For example, background corrected optical data corresponding to a given set of plate angular positions could be obtained by subtracting corresponding background and experimental sample data, in which any or all of the background and/or experimental sample data at the given set of plate angular positions is calculated data, and not measured data. In other words, background measurements could be performed at a first set of plate angular positions, and experimental fluid sample measurements could be performed at a second set of plate angular positions in which the second set of plate angular positions differ in whole of in part from the first set of plate angular positions. Determination of background corrected fluid sample data would then be performed, for example, by subtracting background data from fluid sample optical data values at a third set of plate angular positions that do not correspond to positions of measured background data and/or measured fluid sample data, as described further below.
If desired, the background data corresponding to the first set of plate angular positions could be used to generate a curve, for example, a continuous curve that performs interpolation between measured data points to provide values of optical properties for plate angular positions that are located at points between the first set of plate angular positions. Alternatively, or in addition to interpolation of background data, a similar process could be used to provide interpolation curves for the experimental fluid data collected at the second set of angular positions.
Referring again to
Moreover, the third set of plate angular positions used to construct curve S need not correspond to the second set of data points, but rather could correspond to any plate angular positions, provided that corresponding measured or interpolated data from curves SO and O is available at the desired third set of positions. Finally, even if the first and second sets of plate angular positions used to produce mapped background and fluid sample optical data are the same, a background corrected set of fluid sample data corresponding to a third set of plate angular positions could be produced therefrom in which the third set of plate angular positions differs from the first and second set. In other words, referring again to
Notably, the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.
Further, in describing representative embodiments of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and/or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims directed to the method and/or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/738,976, filed Nov. 23, 2005, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/741,868, filed Dec. 5, 2005, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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