1. A method for sensing the presence of at least one analyte in a medium, comprising:
disposing in the medium a functionalized composite material such that the at least one analyte is absorbed by the functionalized composite material, the functionalized composite material having at least one optical property that is modulated by absorption of the at least one analyte; and
measuring modulation of the at least one optical property of the functionalized composite material;
wherein modulation of the at least one optical property of the functionalized composite material is indicative of the presence of the analyte in the medium.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising coating an optical component associated with the functionalized organicinorganic composite material.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring modulation of at least one optical property comprises measuring refractive index.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein measuring comprises interrogating the optical component with fiber loop ring-down spectroscopy.
5. An optical sensor, comprising:
a functionalized composite material that exhibits modulation of at least one optical property upon absorption of at least one analyte; and
an optical component associated with the functionalized composite material that measures the modulation of the at least one optical property of the material;
wherein modulation of the at least one optical property of the material is indicative of the presence of the analyte.
6. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the optical component is selected from the group consisting of tapered fiber, field access block, an optical component of a refractometer, an optical component of an ellipsometer, and long period grating.
7. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the optical component is a long period grating.
8. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the functionalized composite material comprises a bulk silicate material selected from the group consisting of
inorganic materials selected from metal oxides, silicates, and aluminosilicates, and combinations thereof;
composite polymers selected from silsesquioxanes of general structure M-R\u2032-M or M-R\u2032\u2014(Y)n\u2014R\u2032-M, where M is a polymerizable inorganic group such as a silica-based group such as SiX3, where X\u2550OR\u2033 or Cl or Br or I, where R\u2033 is an organic group such as CnH2n+1 or an aromatic group such as phenyl, and R\u2032 is an organic spacer which may be an aliphatic group such as \u2014(CH2)n\u2014 where n is an integer from 1 to 20, optionally having substituents on the alkyl chain or an unsaturated hydrocarbon of any type including alkenes, alkynes, or arenes of general formula \u2014CnH(2n-2m)\u2014, where m and n are integers from 1 to 20, and Y is a group containing one or more heteroatom selected from S, N, O, P; and
a mixture or blend of organic and inorganic materials either condensed at the same time, or physically mixed together.
9. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the bulk silicate material is prepared by co-condensation between an inorganic silica precursor and (i) a silsesequioxane precursor selected from X3Si\u2014R\u2032\u2014SiX3, or (ii) a siloxane terminated organic polymerizable group selected from X3Si\u2014R\u2032-Z, where Z is a polymerizable organic group selected from acrylate and styrene, where X\u2550OR\u2033 or Cl or Br or I, where R\u2033 is an organic group such as CnH2n+1 or an aromatic group such as phenyl, and R\u2032 is an organic spacer which may be an aliphatic group such as \u2014(CH2)n\u2014 where n is an integer from 1 to 20, optionally having substituents on the alkyl chain or an unsaturated hydrocarbon of any type including alkenes, alkynes, or arenes of general formula \u2014CnH(2n-2m)\u2014, where m and n are integers from 1 to 20.
10. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the bulk silicate material is a silsesquioxane of general structure M-R\u2032-M, where M is SiX3\u2550Si(OEt)3 or Si(OMe)3 and R\u2032 is \u2014(CH2)2\u2014 or \u2014CH2\u2014CH(CH3)\u2014 or \u2014CH\u2550CH\u2014 or \u2014C6H4\u2014 or \u2014C6H4\u2014C6H4\u2014 or \u2014(CH2)3\u2014(S)4\u2014(CH2)3\u2014, or a combination of these.
11. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the bulk silicate material is formed from a monomer selected from Si(OR)4 where R is an aliphatic group (CnH2n+1), where n is an integer from 1 to 20.
12. The optical sensor of claim 11, wherein n=1 or 2.
13. The optical sensor of claim 12, wherein the monomer is TEOS (Si(OEt)4).
14. The optical sensor of claim 11, wherein the monomer is selected from sodium ortho silicate Na4SiO4 (or 2Na2OSiO2), sodium meta silicate Na2SiO3 (or Na2OSiO2), sodium di silicate Na2Si2O5 (or Na2O2SiO2), and sodium tetra silicate Na2Si4O9 (or Na2O4SiO2).
15. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the functionalized composite material comprises a functional group based on an element selected from S, N, O, F, C, H, P, and combinations thereof.
16. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the functionalized composite material comprises a substituted or unsubstituted functional group selected from SH, NH2, PO(OH)2, CO2H, SR, NHR, PR3, PO(OR)2, NR2, imidazole, benzimidazole, thiazole, POCH2COR, crown ether, amide, a cyano-containing moiety, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfate, sulfonate, sulfone, sulfoxide, ester, thioester, dithioester, ether, halide, phosphate, phosphonate, phosphine, phosphite, isocyanourate, phosphonate ester, thiourea, urea, sulfide, disulfide, tetrasulfide, and combinations thereof.
17. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the functionalized composite material comprises a functional group selected from: an aromatic group selected from phenyl, naphthyl, and anthracyl; and a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic group.
18. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the analyte is selected from:
inorganic species selected from mercury, cadmium, lead, copper, chromium, nickel, silver, gold, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, platinum, boron, and arsenic and their compounds;
organic species selected from chlorinated hydrocarbons, simple hydrocarbons of the formula CnH2n+2, where n is an integer from 1 to 20, and hydrocarbon blends;
cyclic hydrocarbons and unsaturated hydrocarbons of the formula CnH2n-2m, where n and m are integers;
aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs);
and aromatic compounds functionalized by heteroatoms including functional groups of the elements N, O, S, P, Cl and Br, either within the ring or external to the aromatic ring; and
gaseous analytes in all of the above classes.
19. The optical sensor of claim 5, wherein the at least one analyte is at least one metal or metal-containing compound.
20. The optical sensor of claim 19, wherein the at least one metal is mercury.
21. A functionalized composite material, comprising:
a bulk silicate material selected from bistriethoxysilane (BTESE, (EtO)3SiCH2CH2Si(OEt)3), TEOS (Si(OEt)4), and SIS (bis(3-triethoxysilyl)propyltetrasulfide, (EtO)3Si\u2014CH2\u2014CH2\u2014CH2\u2014S\u2014S\u2014S\u2014S\u2014CH2\u2014CH2\u2014CH2\u2014Si(OEt)3), the bulk silicate material being functionalized with at least one member selected from the group consisting of aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES, (EtO)3SiCH2CH2CH2NH2), mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS, (MeO)3SiCH2CH2CH2SH), mercaptopropyltriethoxysilane (MPTES, (EtO)3SiCH2CH2CH2SH); and
at least one optical property that is modulated upon absorption of at least one analyte;
wherein the functionalized composite material is disposed as a film.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A modular mold clamp assembly for use in a molding machine, the assembly comprising:
a frame having a base member, the base member having end members provided thereon;
radial adjustment mechanisms mounted on the end members, the radial adjustment members configured to cooperate with turntables of the molding machine;
at least one support bracket extending from the frame, the support bracket configured to cooperate with at least one support fixture of the molding machine;
wherein the radial adjustment mechanisms and the at least one support bracket allow the modular mold clamp assembly to be moved toward and away from the center of a wheel of the molding machine.
2. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a cam follower is movably mounted on a respective end member, the cam follower is coupled to a drive linkage of the modular mold clamp assembly, whereby the movement of the cam follower moves the drive linkage.
3. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the radial adjustment mechanism has mounting slots which extend from proximate a first surface of the radial adjustment mechanism to proximate a second surface of radial adjustment mechanism.
4. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein three mounting slots, with the longitudinal axis of the three slots being positioned closer to each other at proximate the second surface, thereby allowing the radial adjustment mechanism to be mounted on the turntables of the molding machine.
5. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein each mounting slot has a T-shaped configuration which cooperates with a respective mounting member to maintain the radial adjustment mechanism in position relative to the turntables.
6. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 3, wherein a center mounting slot is dimensioned to have tight tolerances to allow the center mounting slot to precisely align with a respective mounting member to proper align and secure the radial adjustment mechanism on the turntable.
7. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein a cam follower mounting device is mounted on slide car of a first end member, the cam follower mounting device has a slot provide thereon which carriers a cam mounting block having a cam follower mounted thereon.
8. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 7, wherein the slot is dimensioned to allow the cam follower mounting device to freely move along a longitudinal axis of the slot, while preventing movement of the cam follower mounting device transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slot.
9. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one support bracket is positioned proximate the center of gravity of the modular mold clamp assembly, such that approximately \xbd the weight of the modular mold clamp assembly is distributed on either side of the at least one support bracket.
10. The modular mold clamp assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein the support bracket has a first adjustment mechanism which allows the modular clamp assembly to be adjusted toward and away from the center of the wheel of the molding machine.
11. A rotary molding machine comprising;
a pair of turntables rotatably mounted on one or more shafts;
a plurality of modular mold clamp assemblies mounted on and spaced around the turntable, each modular mold clamp assembly including a frame having a base member, a first end member and an opposed second end member, the first and second end members integrally attached to the base member;
radial adjustment mechanisms mounted on the first and second end members, the radial adjustment members cooperate with turntables;
at least one support bracket extending from each modular mold clamp assembly, the at least one support bracket cooperate with at least one support fixture of the rotary molding machine.
12. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 11, wherein the radial adjustment mechanism has mounting slots which extend from proximate a first surface of the radial adjustment mechanism to proximate a second surface of radial adjustment mechanism.
13. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 12, wherein each mounting slot has a T-shaped configuration which cooperates with a respective mounting member to maintain the radial adjustment mechanism in position relative to the turntables.
14. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 12, wherein a center mounting slot is dimensioned to have tight tolerances to allow the center mounting slot to precisely align with a respective mounting member to proper align and secure the radial adjustment mechanism on the turntable.
15. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 11, wherein a cam follower mounting device is mounted on slide car of a first end member, the cam follower mounting device has a slot provide thereon which carriers a cam mounting block having a cam follower mounted thereon.
16. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 16, wherein the slot is dimensioned to allow the cam follower mounting device to freely move along a longitudinal axis of the slot, while preventing movement of the cam follower mounting device transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slot.
17. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one support bracket is positioned proximate the center of gravity of the modular mold clamp assembly, such that approximately \xbd the weight of the modular mold clamp assembly is distributed on either side of the at least one support bracket.
18. The rotary molding machine as recited in claim 11, wherein the support bracket has a first adjustment mechanism and the support fixture has a second adjustment mechanism, the first and second adjustment mechanisms allow the modular clamp assembly to be adjusted toward and away from the shaft of the molding machine.
19. A method of adjusting a modular mold clamp assembly mounted on a rotary molding machine, the method comprising:
loosening mounting members to allow the mounting members to move relative to slots of a radial adjustment mechanisms attached to the modular mold clamp assembly;
engaging a first adjustment mechanism of a support bracket of the modular mold clamp to move the support bracket and the modular mold clamp assembly to a desired position relative to the a support fixture of the rotary molding machine and a shaft of the rotary molding machine; and
tightening the mounting members to prevent unwanted movement of the mounting members relative to the slots, thereby maintaining the modular mold clamp assembly in position relative to the rotary molding machine.
20. The method of claim 16, comprising:
monitoring the movement of the modular mold clamp assembly relative to a center of the rotary molding machine through the use of one or more gauges.