US 11,953,404 B1
Composition of matter for identifying the location of a leak site
Bernie C. Thompson, Tijeras, NM (US); Neal R. Pederson, Los Alamos, NM (US); Kenneth D. Ley, Sandia Park, NM (US); and Steven G. Thoma, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to Automotive Test Solutions, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed by Bernie C. Thompson, Tijeras, NM (US); Neal R. Pederson, Los Alamos, NM (US); Kenneth D. Ley, Sandia Park, NM (US); and Steven G. Thoma, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Oct. 11, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/730,497.
Application 15/730,497 is a division of application No. 13/789,319, filed on Mar. 7, 2013, granted, now 10,222,291.
Application 13/789,319 is a continuation in part of application No. 13/789,179, filed on Mar. 7, 2013, granted, now 9,390,565, issued on Jul. 12, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/759,782, filed on Feb. 1, 2013.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01M 3/22 (2006.01); G01M 3/04 (2006.01)
CPC G01M 3/226 (2013.01) [G01M 3/042 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of detecting a CO2 gas leak from a leak site in a sealed system which system is pressurized to a pressure in excess of the pressure surrounding the sealed system (herein “pressurized CO2”), the sealed system having one or more external surfaces, the method including a composition of matter formulated to identify the location of leak sites in sealed systems by reacting with the pressurized CO2 escaping from such leak sites, the composition of matter having the following properties: it foams or is in the form of a foam when applied to one or more external surfaces of a sealed system (herein “foam”); it adheres to the one or more external surfaces; and it includes water and an indicator which, in the presence of CO2 escaping from the leak site and reacting with the water, visually changes the color of the foam over the leak site to identify the location of the leak site; the method including the steps of:
covering at least a portion of the one or more external surfaces with the composition of matter;
reacting the pressurized CO2 escaping from the leak site directly with the water, thereby changing the pH of the water over the leak site and the color of both the indicator and the foam over the leak site; and
examining the foam after it has been applied to locate the leak site by the presence of the visibly perceivable color change in the foam over the leak site.