Characterization of Coating Microstructure Using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy.
Characterization of Coating Microstructure Using Laser
Scanning Confocal Microscopy.
(1207 K)
Sung, L. P.; Nadal, M. E.; Stutzman, P. E.; McKnight, M.
E.
Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE)
Fall Meeting. Volume 83. Proceedings. American Chemical
Society (ACS) Division of Polymeric Materials: Science
and Engineering. August 20-24, 2000, Washington, DC,
343-344 pp, 2000.
Keywords:
coatings; appearance; bidirectional reflectance; laser
scanning confocal microscopy; microstructure; lasers;
microscopy; pigments
Abstract:
The appearance of coating materials depends on the
physical attributes of the object's interaction with
light. These physical attributes include the light
source, the angle of illumination, the viewing angle,
and the optical reflectance properties of the coating
system resulting from its surface topography and
subsurface microstructure. Identification and
characterization of the microstructure of a coating are
crucial for relating the microstructure to the optical
reflectance properties and for predicting the appearance
of a coating from its microstructure and its
constituents. In this paper, we will demonstrate that
laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) is a powerful
tool for characterizing microstructres of coatings. The
microstructures measured using the LSCM will be
presented and compared to the corresponding optical
reflectance data obtained from NIST's bidirectional
reflectance distribution function (BRDF) instrument.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899