Moisture indicator for wood substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9606098-B2
Application number	US-201313853373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A moisture content indicator for visually indicating the moisture content of a wood substrate and methods of making the moisture content indicator are provided.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A moisture content indicator for visually determining the moisture content of a wood substrate, the moisture content indicator comprising a transition layer composition, the transition layer composition comprising (i) an opaque polymer, wherein the opaque polymer is a styrene-acrylic microsphere dispersion and the microspheres of the dispersion have a hollow core; (ii) a polymeric surfactant, wherein the polymeric surfactant is a salt of an anionic polysaccharide; and (iii) a binding agent;
wherein the transition layer composition is constituted such that the transition layer composition reversibly transitions between a transparent appearance and an opaque white appearance depending upon the moisture content of the transition layer.

2. The moisture content indicator of claim 1 , wherein the binding agent of the transition layer is at least one of an alkyd resin, an aqueous latex, and a polymeric or oligomeric dispersion.

3. The moisture content indicator of claim 1 , wherein the anionic polysaccharide is alginic acid.

4. The moisture content indicator of claim 3 , wherein the transition layer composition is constituted such that the transition layer composition transitions between a colored appearance and an opaque appearance when the moisture content of the wood substrate is from about 9% to about 10%.

5. The moisture content indicator of claim 4 , wherein the transition layer composition is constituted such that the transition layer composition exhibits a colored appearance when the moisture content of the wood substrate is greater than about 10%.

6. The moisture content indicator of claim 4 , wherein the transition layer composition is constituted such that the transition layer composition exhibits a white/opaque appearance when the moisture content of the wood substrate is less than about 9%.

7. The moisture content indicator of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer composition further comprises a color pigment.

8. The moisture content indicator of claim 1 , wherein the transition layer composition is constituted such that the transition layer composition transitions between a transparent appearance and an opaque white appearance when the moisture content of the wood substrate is from about 9% to about 10%.

9. The moisture content indicator of claim 8 , wherein the transition layer composition is constituted such that the transition layer composition exhibits a white/opaque appearance when the moisture content of the wood substrate is less than about 9%.

10. The moisture content indicator of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the opaque polymer in the transition layer composition is from about 5% w/w to about 70% w/w.

11. The moisture content indicator of claim 10 , wherein the concentration of the opaque polymer in the transition layer composition is from about 20% w/w to about 45% w/w.

12. A method of applying a moisture content indicator onto a wood substrate comprising the steps of:
(a) applying the moisture content indicator of claim 1 onto a wood substrate; and
(b) allowing the transition layer composition of the moisture content indicator to dry.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the transition layer composition further comprises one or more color pigments.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the wood substrate includes text and/or indicia incorporated into the wood substrate at the location that the moisture content indicator is applied to the wood substrate.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the text and/or indicia is indicative of the moisture content of the wood substrate.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the moisture content indicator further comprises a moisture-permeable intermediate substrate upon which the transition layer composition is disposed prior to applying the moisture content indicator onto the wood substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the intermediate substrate includes an indicia that is incorporated or applied to the intermediate substrate at a location in alignment with the moisture content indicator.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the intermediate substrate includes indicia applied to or incorporated thereon at a location in alignment with the location that the transition layer composition is applied to the intermediate substrate.

19. A method of making a wood product comprising the steps of:
(a) applying a color layer composition comprising one or more colored pigment(s) and a color layer composition binding agent onto a wood substrate;
(b) drying the color layer composition; and
(c) applying the moisture content indicator of claim 1 onto the color layer composition.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the transition layer composition further comprises one or more color pigments.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the color layer composition is applied directly onto the wood substrate and the transition layer composition is applied directly onto the color layer composition.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein applying the color layer composition onto the wood substrate comprises applying the color layer composition onto a moisture-permeable intermediate substrate and applying the intermediate substrate having the color layer composition disposed thereon onto the wood substrate.

23. A wood product comprising:
a wood substrate; and
the moisture content indicator of claim 1 disposed on the wood substrate.

24. The wood product of claim 23 , wherein the wood substrate is selected from the group consisting of oriented strand boards, plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, laminated veneer lumber, laminated strand lumber, oriented strand lumber, parallel strand lumber, long strand lumber, glulam, and solid sawn lumber.

25. The wood product of claim 23 , wherein text and/or indicia is incorporated on or into the wood substrate at the location of the moisture content initiator.

26. The wood product of claim 25 , wherein the text and/or indicia is indicative of the moisture content of the wood substrate.

27. The wood product of claim 23 , further comprising a color layer composition disposed between the wood substrate and the transition layer composition of the moisture content indicator, said color layer composition comprising one or more colored pigment(s) and a color layer composition binding agent.

28. The wood product of claim 27 , wherein the color layer composition binding agent is at least one of alkyd resin, an aqueous latex, and a polymeric or oligomeric dispersion.

29. The wood product of claim 27 , wherein the wood substrate is selected from the group consisting of oriented strand boards, plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, laminated veneer lumber, laminated strand lumber, oriented strand lumber, parallel strand lumber, glulam, and solid sawn lumber.

30. The wood product of claim 27 , wherein the color pigments of the color layer composition are arranged to form text and/or visual indicia in alignment with the transition layer composition, said text and/or visual indicia is visible when the substrate is of sufficiently high moisture content.

31. The wood product of claim 30 , wherein said text and/or indicia is indicative of the moisture content of the wood substrate.

32. T

Assignees

• Weyerhaeuser Nr Co

Inventors

• Winterowd Jack G
• Parker Erik M
• De Lashmutt Malinda J
• Lindell Wayne
• Tran Tri

Classifications

• G01N33/46 Primary

  Wood · CPC title

• B32B2317/16

  Wood, e.g. woodboard, fibreboard, woodchips · CPC title

• B32B33/00

  Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class · CPC title