High-resolution tracking of industrial process materials using trace incorporation of luminescent markers

Abstract

A method of marking an industrial process material including selectively incorporating a luminescent marker onto and/or into the industrial process material in a trace amount insufficient to be optically detectable in the presence of ambient light but sufficient to be non-destructively optically detectable in and/or on the industrial proce material in situ in the field or on-site. The trace amount of the luminescent marker is used to track, identify authenticate the industrial process material for at least one of material control, inventory control, stock control, logistics control, quality control and pollution control.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system including:
 a portable luminescence reader configured to detect, in situ in the field or on-site, unique luminescent responses conferred on industrial process materials and/or products, parts or structures formed therefrom;   a database associatively storing information relating to the industrial process materials, products, parts and/or structures and their corresponding conferred unique luminescent responses;   processor instructions for causing a processor to compare luminescent responses detected by the portable luminescence reader with the conferred unique luminescent responses stored in the database to identify or authenticate the industrial process materials, products, parts and/or structures.   
     
     
         2 . A portable luminescence reader including a spectrometer light source and a spectrometer detector the optical paths of which are commonly arranged inside an opaque shroud with an opening defining a sample area, wherein the spectrometer light source and the spectrometer detector are substantially parfocal on the sample area, and wherein the opaque shroud substantially occludes ambient light from the spectrometer detector when the opening is substantially occluded by a sample. 
     
     
         3 . A portable luminescence reader according to  claim 2 , wherein the spectrometer light source includes at least one light emitting diode (LED) having a wavelength range of range of about 250 nm to 365 nm. 
     
     
         4 . A portable luminescence reader according to  claim 2 , wherein the opening of the opaque shroud is conformable to substantially encapsulate a sample of an industrial process material or a product, part and/or structure formed therefrom. 
     
     
         5 . A portable luminescence reader according to  claim 3 , wherein the opening of the opaque shroud is conformable to substantially encapsulate a sample of an industrial process material or a product, part and/or structure formed therefrom.