{"schema_version":1,"experiment_id":"eoa_inverse_innovation_exp12_substrate_denial72_20260805","research_id":"eoa_inverse_innovation_exp12_light_screen_20260805","cell_id":"disequilibrium_leverage_and_dissipation_management__chemistry_materials","search_lanes":{"direct_problem_and_intervention":{"queries":["epoxy curing phase change microcapsules reduce exotherm latent heat cure","phase change material epoxy resin cure exothermic temperature microcapsules","\"phase change material\" \"epoxy curing\" exotherm"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3"],"no_result_note":null},"synonyms_and_historical_terms":{"queries":["latent heat additive control polymerization exotherm resin cure","use of filler that undergoes endothermic phase transition to lower reaction exotherm epoxy","passive heat sink additive massive epoxy casting"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC3"],"no_result_note":null},"products_practices_and_standards":{"queries":["commercial microencapsulated phase change material epoxy resin compatible product","ASTM epoxy cure exotherm DSC standard thermosetting resin","official guidance epoxy exotherm thick casting manufacturer"],"source_ids":["SRC2","SRC4"],"no_result_note":null},"component_combination":{"queries":["epoxy curable composition phase change microcapsules melting crystallization cure exotherm","patent epoxy \"microencapsulated phase change material\" cure exotherm","distributed microcapsules latent heat reduce cure exotherm resin"],"source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2"],"no_result_note":"No retained source directly demonstrated that crystallization heat from distributed capsules improves late-stage conversion during the same thick-casting cure; the constituent mechanisms were found separately and in very close combination."}},"sources":[{"source_id":"SRC1","title":"US20110077328A1 — Use of filler that undergoes endothermic phase transition to lower the reaction exotherm of epoxy based compositions","publisher":"Google Patents / United States patent publication","url":"https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110077328A1/en","source_type":"OTHER","claims_supported":["A uniformly distributed phase-transition additive can be admixed with epoxy resin and hardener to reduce cure peak temperature in large or massive parts.","The disclosure selects melting below the unmodified peak, permits mixtures with multiple transitions, states that the additive may solidify again during cooling, and uses core thermocouple measurements.","Reported 200 g tests reduced peak temperature from 190 °C to 95–132 °C, while a 500 g example reduced the peak from 164 °C to 116 °C and removed visible core-to-surface discoloration.","The disclosure compares a phase-transition additive with conventional filler and discusses preserving glass-transition temperature and hardness."]},{"source_id":"SRC2","title":"A Smart Epoxy Composite Based on Phase Change Microcapsules: Preparation, Microstructure, Thermal and Dynamic Mechanical Performances","publisher":"Molecules (MDPI)","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/5/916","source_type":"PRIMARY_RESEARCH","claims_supported":["Polyurea-shelled n-octadecane microcapsules were mixed into and cured within an epoxy matrix at 5–20 wt%.","The capsules remained uniformly distributed without significant agglomeration or breakage and retained measurable melting and crystallization enthalpies.","The composites displayed reversible latent-heat storage, reduced heating response, and thermal-cycling reliability.","Microcapsule loading altered mechanical behavior, including reduced storage modulus, demonstrating a material-property tradeoff that must be tested."]},{"source_id":"SRC3","title":"Effect of cure cycle on curing process and hardness for epoxy resin","publisher":"Express Polymer Letters, Budapest University of Technology and Economics","url":"https://www.expresspolymlett.com/article.php?a=EPL-0001016","source_type":"PRIMARY_RESEARCH","claims_supported":["A three-dimensional model, checked against experimental data, examined temperature and degree-of-cure fields in an epoxy casting.","Cure-cycle ramps affect temperature and degree-of-cure gradients.","Nonuniform temperature and degree-of-cure fields produce nonuniform hardness in an epoxy casting."]},{"source_id":"SRC4","title":"ISO 14322:2018 — Plastics — Epoxy resins — Determination of degree of crosslinking of crosslinked epoxy resins by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)","publisher":"International Organization for Standardization","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/74606.html","source_type":"OFFICIAL_STANDARD","claims_supported":["DSC measurement of epoxy crosslinking reaction heat can be used to determine degree of crosslinking.","The method applies to moderate- or slow-crosslinking epoxy systems but may not apply to systems that react rapidly at ambient temperature.","The 2018 edition was reviewed and confirmed in 2023."]}],"problem_evidence":{"status":"SUPPORTED","finding":"The problem is visible: thick or massive epoxy parts can develop internally concentrated cure exotherms, temperature and degree-of-cure gradients, and resulting core-to-surface property differences. SRC1 reports high core peak temperatures and core discoloration in control castings, while SRC3 links nonuniform temperature and cure fields to nonuniform hardness.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC3"]},"closest_prior_art":[{"name":"Endothermic phase-transition filler dispersed in curable epoxy (US20110077328A1)","source_ids":["SRC1"],"overlap":"This is a direct collision with the proposal's central mechanism: a bounded, distributed phase-transition additive is mixed into epoxy, selected to melt below the unmodified exotherm peak, absorbs cure heat, lowers the core peak, may use multiple transitions, solidifies again during cooling, and is evaluated against conventional filler using thermocouples and sectioned-part properties.","remaining_difference":"It does not specifically require chemically isolated microcapsules or demonstrate that crystallization heat extends the falling cure tail and improves spatial conversion or residual enthalpy after peak suppression."},{"name":"Polyurea-shelled phase-change microcapsules dispersed in cured epoxy","source_ids":["SRC2"],"overlap":"This work supplies the proposal's microencapsulation implementation: uniformly dispersed, shell-isolated PCM in epoxy with measured melting and crystallization, tunable latent capacity, reduced heating response, cycling reliability, and mechanical-property measurements.","remaining_difference":"It studies thermal-energy storage and regulation after fabrication rather than deliberately coupling the capsules to a thick casting's cure exotherm or measuring improved late-tail conversion."},{"name":"Cure-cycle management of temperature, conversion, and hardness gradients in epoxy castings","source_ids":["SRC3"],"overlap":"It addresses the same thick-casting observables and objective by relating thermal history to spatial temperature, degree of cure, and hardness.","remaining_difference":"It changes the imposed cure cycle rather than using a distributed passive latent-heat flywheel."}],"prior_art_disposition":"SUBSTANTIAL_COLLISION","contrastive_claim_remaining":"A narrow claim remains: under identical resin chemistry, casting geometry, external schedule, and nonreactive volume fraction, a compatible blend of encapsulated PCMs whose melting and crystallization transitions are deliberately aligned with the rising exotherm and falling cure tail will improve the joint outcome of peak-temperature compliance and post-cure core-to-boundary conversion uniformity more than neat resin, inert-shell filler, or conductivity-matched filler. The retained sources do not directly demonstrate the claimed useful late-tail conversion effect.","contrastive_claim_falsifier":"At equal nonreactive volume fraction, the PCM formulation fails to improve both peak-temperature compliance and sectioned residual-enthalpy or cured-state uniformity relative to inert and conductivity controls; or DSC and temperature histories show that crystallization occurs after vitrification or otherwise supplies no measurable cure-tail benefit.","gates":{"adequate_source_search":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"The bounded search covered direct wording, older endothermic-transition terminology, products/practices and a current ISO measurement standard, plus combinations of epoxy exotherm control, microencapsulation, melting, crystallization, and thick-casting gradients. Four opened sources from four publisher contexts were retained.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC3","SRC4"]},"supported_problem":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"Primary research and reported casting examples support internally concentrated exotherm, spatial temperature and conversion gradients, and property differences in epoxy castings.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC3"]},"distinct_testable_claim":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"Although the peak-damping mechanism substantially collides with prior art, the proposed attribution of improved late-stage conversion to deliberately timed crystallization heat remains a distinct, falsifiable comparison against equal-volume inert and conductivity controls.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC4"]},"bounded_next_test":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"DSC characterization followed by small, identically molded coupons with core/boundary thermocouples and sectioned residual-reaction measurements is bounded and directly discriminates latent shifting from dilution and conductivity. ISO 14322 supports DSC-based crosslinking assessment, subject to its reaction-rate limitation.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2","SRC4"]},"no_obvious_safety_or_authority_stop":{"status":"PASS","rationale":"No retained source reveals a categorical prohibition on a shielded small-coupon experiment. Closely related epoxy/phase-transition formulations have been tested, but capsule compatibility, volatile-core hazards, pressure, degradation temperature, and mechanical-property loss require material-specific SDS review, containment, preset stop limits, and principal-investigator or safety-lead authorization before testing.","source_ids":["SRC1","SRC2"]}},"screen_survival":false,"world_novelty_boundary":"This bounded public-web screen found substantial prior-art overlap and therefore does not support screen survival. It cannot establish world novelty, patentability, freedom to operate, market size, expert acceptance, realized value, or the absence of additional prior art."}