Patent ID: 8717565

Claim:
A method to determine the identity of an organic functional fluid comprising: (1) adding an optically active marker component to an organic functional fluid; (2) obtaining a sample of the fluid before, during or after its use in an application; (3) passing a beam of polarized light through the sample of fluid; (4) measuring the rotation of the plane of the light after it passes through the sample of fluid by comparing it to the light's original orientation; (5) determining the identity of the fluid by the amount of rotation observed; wherein the optically active marker component comprises a compound of the formula: wherein X is C, N, P, or S; and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently a hydrocarbyl group, an —OR 5 group where R 5 is a hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group, an aromatic group, a lone pair of elections when X is N, a double bonded Oxygen atom when X is P or S, with the proviso that none of the R groups are identical, wherein the optically active marker component is non-racemic in regards to at least one set of enantiomers.