US4269068A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Ultrasonic couplant compositions and method for employing same
Assignee: Boeing North American Inc
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Filing: 1975-08-13
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Granted: 1981-05-26
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Expires: 1995-08-13
Abstract
Abstract Biodegradable water washable composition in the form of a gel for use in non-destructive ultrasonic inspection of surface and subsurface flaws and discontinuities in bodies, and which is stable and heat resistant, such composition consisting essentially of a (1) a surfactant comprised of certain straight chain, primary, aliphatic oxyalkylated alcohols, particularly biodegradable surfactants comprised of the nonionic condensation products of linear aliphatic alcohols having from 10 to 18 carbon atoms, with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, preferably in the form of a mixture thereof, such as the material marketed as Plurafac A-24, or in the form of certain ethoxylated secondary alcohols, particularly the biodegradable nonionic surfactants comprised of ethoxylates of a mixture of secondary alcohols having linear alkyl chains of from 11 to 15 carbon atoms, and (2) silica, particularly fumed silica, such silica employed e.g. in a proportion of about 15% by weight of the composition. The composition or gel is applied to a surface of a body such as a metal aircraft structural part, and a probe or transducer of an ultrasonic testing device is contacted or pressed against the gel, and the transducer is caused to move or slide in various directions on the gel to transmit ultrasonic energy through the gel and the object, to inspect the object and locate any surface or subsurface flaws or discontinuities.
Inventors
- 👤 Orlando G. Molina
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 15:36
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09B; C09B67/00; C09B67/0071; C09B67/0083; G; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/84; G01N21/88; G01N21/91; G01N29/00; G01N29/22; G01N29/28; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S252/00; Y10S252/96
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
143 words
A heat resistant biodegradable composition for ultrasonic inspection of surface and subsurface flaws and discontinuities in an object, in the form of a gel consisting essentially of (1) a biodegradable nonionic liquid surfactant as the sole liquid vehicle, said surfactant selected from the group consisting of (a) straight chain, primary, aliphatic oxyalkylated alcohols, wherein said alcohols can contain from 8 to 20 carbon atoms and the oxyalkyl groups are a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide groups, and (b) ethoxylates of linear secondary aliphatic alcohols, with the hydroxyl groups randomly distributed, the linear aliphatic portion of said alcohols being a mixture of alkyl chains containing in the range from 10 to 17 carbon atoms, and containing an average of from 3 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, and (2) an amount of silica sufficient to convert said surfactant liquid into a gel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
143 words
A heat resistant biodegradable composition for ultrasonic inspection of surface and subsurface flaws and discontinuities in an object, in the form of a gel consisting essentially of (1) a biodegradable nonionic liquid surfactant as the sole liquid vehicle, said surfactant selected from the group consisting of (a) straight chain, primary, aliphatic oxyalkylated alcohols, wherein said alcohols can contain from 8 to 20 carbon atoms and the oxyalkyl groups are a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide groups, and (b) ethoxylates of linear secondary aliphatic alcohols, with the hydroxyl groups randomly distributed, the linear aliphatic portion of said alcohols being a mixture of alkyl chains containing in the range from 10 to 17 carbon atoms, and containing an average of from 3 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, and (2) an amount of silica sufficient to convert said surfactant liquid into a gel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 1, said silica being present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 35% by weight of said composition.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 1, said silica being powdered silica present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 25% by weight of said composition.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 3, wherein said silica is fumed silica.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
134 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 1, wherein said surfactant (a) is a mixture of compounds having the formula: R--O(A)H wherein R is an essentially linear alkyl group having from 10 to 18 carbon atoms, at least 70 weight percent of said compounds in said mixture having an R of from 12 to 16 carbon atoms, and A is a mixture of oxypropylene and oxyethylene groups, said oxypropylene and oxyethylene groups being from 55 to 80% of the total weight of said compounds, the oxypropylene to oxyethylene ratio of said total weight being from 0.85:1 to 2.75:1; and wherein said surfactant (b) is ethoxylates of a mixture of alcohols having the formula: ##STR3## where n is in the range from 9 to 13 and m is an average of 3 to 12.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
130 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 5, wherein R in said surfactant (a) can have from 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and the total number of A groups can range from about 4 to about 14; and wherein in surfactant (b) the linear alkyl hydrophobic portion of said surfactant is a mixture of C 11 to C 15 linear chains, and the hydrophilic portion of said surfactant is a polyoxyethylene chain randomly attached to the linear alkyl hydrophobic chains other than to the terminal carbon atoms, through the ether linkage, and wherein said surfactant (b) is selected from the group consisting of said ethoxylates of said mixture of alcohols, wherein n ranges from 9 to 13, and m is an average of 3, 5, 7, 9 or 12.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 6, said silica being present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 35% by weight of said composition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 6, said silica being powdered silica present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 25% by weight of said composition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 8, wherein said silica is fumed silica, said composition ranging from a thin to a heavy consistency, said composition being non-dripping.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 6, wherein said surfactant is said surfactant (b).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 10, wherein said silica is fumed silica, and said silica is present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 35% by weight of said composition.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 11, wherein said silica is present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 25% by weight of said composition.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 11, employing a combination of said biodegradable nonionic surfactants.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
An ultrasonic couplant composition as defined in claim 11, employing a combination of said biodegradable nonionic surfactants wherein m in one of said surfactants is an average of 5 and m in another of said surfactants is an average of 9.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
211 words
A method for detecting surface and subsurface flaws and discontinuities in an object, which comprises applying to a surface of said object a water washable biodegradable heat resistant ultrasonic couplant composition in the form of a gel which consists essentially of (1) a biodegradable nonionic liquid surfactant as the sole liquid vehicle, said surfactant selected from the group consisting of (a) straight chain, primary, aliphatic oxyalkylated alcohols, wherein said alcohols can contain from 8 to 20 carbon atoms and the oxyalkyl groups are a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide groups, and (b) ethoxylates of linear secondary aliphatic alcohols, with the hydroxyl groups randomly distributed, the linear aliphatic portion of said alcohols being a mixture of alkyl chains containing in the range from 10 to 17 carbon atoms, and containing an average of from 3 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, and (2) an amount of silica sufficient to convert said liquid surfactant into a gel, contacting a transducer of an ultrasonic testing device with said gel on said surface of said object, and transmitting ultrasonic energy through said gel and into said object to inspect said object and locate any surface or subsurface flaws, cracks or discontinuities in said object, and removing said ultrasonic couplant composition from said surface.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
211 words
A method for detecting surface and subsurface flaws and discontinuities in an object, which comprises applying to a surface of said object a water washable biodegradable heat resistant ultrasonic couplant composition in the form of a gel which consists essentially of (1) a biodegradable nonionic liquid surfactant as the sole liquid vehicle, said surfactant selected from the group consisting of (a) straight chain, primary, aliphatic oxyalkylated alcohols, wherein said alcohols can contain from 8 to 20 carbon atoms and the oxyalkyl groups are a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide groups, and (b) ethoxylates of linear secondary aliphatic alcohols, with the hydroxyl groups randomly distributed, the linear aliphatic portion of said alcohols being a mixture of alkyl chains containing in the range from 10 to 17 carbon atoms, and containing an average of from 3 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide, and (2) an amount of silica sufficient to convert said liquid surfactant into a gel, contacting a transducer of an ultrasonic testing device with said gel on said surface of said object, and transmitting ultrasonic energy through said gel and into said object to inspect said object and locate any surface or subsurface flaws, cracks or discontinuities in said object, and removing said ultrasonic couplant composition from said surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as defined in claim 15, wherein said surface is a surface heated to elevated temperature and said silica is present in amount sufficient to prevent runoff when said surface is a slanted or vertical surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined in claim 15, said surface being heated to a temperature ranging from 150° F. to about 300° F.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as defined in claim 15, said silica being present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 35% by weight of said composition.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as defined in claim 15, said silica being powdered silica present in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 25% by weight of said composition.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as defined in claim 19, said composition containing a fluorescent dye, and following removal of said composition from said object, inspecting said surface of said object under fluorescent light to detect any residual trace of said composition on said surface as indicated by fluorescent emission from said fluorescent dye in said composition.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
132 words
A method as defined in claim 15, wherein said surfactant (a) is a mixture of compounds having the formula: R--O(A)H wherein R is an essentially linear alkyl group having from 10 to 18 carbon atoms, at least 70 weight percent of said compounds in said mixture having an R of from 12 to 16 carbon atoms, and A is a mixture of oxypropylene and oxyethylene groups, said oxypropylene and oxyethylene groups being from 55 to 80% of the total weight of said compounds, the oxypropylene to oxyethylene ratio of said total weight being from 0.85:1 to 2.75:1; and wherein said surfactant (b) is ethoxylates of a mixture of alcohols having the formula: ##STR4## where n is in the range from 9 to 13 and m is an average of 3 to 12.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
128 words
A method as defined in claim 21, wherein R in said surfactant (a) can have from 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and the total number of A groups can range from about 4 to about 14; and wherein in surfactant (b) the linear alkyl hydrophobic portion of said surfactant is a mixture of C 11 to C 15 linear chains, and the hydrophilic portion of said surfactant is a polyoxyethylene chain randomly attached to the linear alkyl hydrophobic chains other than to the terminal carbon atoms, through the ether linkage, and wherein said surfactant (b) is selected from the group consisting of said ethoxylates of said mixture of alcohols, wherein n ranges from 9 to 13, and m is an average of 3, 5, 7, 9 or 12.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as defined in claim 22, wherein said surface is heated to elevated temperature, said silica being present in an amount ranging from about 4 to about 35% by weight of said composition.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
101 words
A method as defined in claim 22, said composition also including a fluorescent dye in an amount of about 0.1 to about 5% by weight, and said silica is fumed silica, employed in an amount ranging from about 10 to about 25% by weight of said composition, said composition ranging from a thin to a heavy consistency and being non-dripping, and following removal of said composition from said object, inspecting said surface of said object under fluorescent light to detect any residual trace of said composition on said surface as indicated by fluorescent emission from said fluorescent dye in said composition.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as defined in claim 24, wherein said surfactant is said surfactant (b), and said fluorescent dye is present in an amount of about 0.2 to about 2% by weight.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as defined in claim 24, said removing said ultrasonic couplant composition from said surface being carried out by a water wash.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as defined in claim 25, employing a combination of said surfactants wherein m in one of said surfactants is an average of 5 and m in another of said surfactants is an average of 9.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-05-25 | 1984-11-24 | 1985-05-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-05-25 | 1988-11-24 | 1989-05-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-05-25 | 1992-11-24 | 1993-05-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |