Colored orthopedic resins and orthopedic casting materials incorporating same

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to colored resins and colored resin-coated materials which are storage stable and have other benefits as outlined herein.
These colored resins and colored resin-coated materials have particular utility when used in orthopedic casting applications, however, such is not their only utility.
Hence, although the following discussion of the colored resins and colored resin-coated materials of the present invention is set forth in the context of an orthopedic casting material application, it will be appreciated that the applications and uses of the colored resins and colored resin-materials of the present invention are not so limited.
For example, such colored resins and colored resin-coated materials could be used in nonorthopedic applications as a protective material to protect the surface of an article or structure from abrasion or corrosion or as a material for reinforcing, sealing, or repairing the surface of an article or structure requiring such.
The curable resins which are provided with a color in accordance with the present invention are water activated, or preferably, water curable resins.
In this regard, water curable, isocyanate functional, polyurethane prepolymers are presently preferred.
Presently preferred resins for use in the present invention include those disclosed in U.
S.
Pat.
No.
4,667,661 (Scholz et al.
) and U.
S.
Pat.
No.
4,774,937 (Scholz et al.
) which patents are incorporated herein by reference.
The polyurethane prepolymer resins disclosed in these patents are formed by the reaction of a polyol with a polyisocyanate.
The resins disclosed in the two aforementioned patents also include tack reducing agents which facilitate application of the orthopedic casting materials.
However, in the present invention, these resins are modified by using a polyol (which represents at least a part of the total polyol concentration employed) having a chromophore attached thereto.
Such chromophore-containing polyols or reactive colorants become covalently bonded into the polyurethane prepolymer resin and serve to impart a desired color to the resin or orthopedic casting material made therefrom