12.3 Novel Applications of Confocal Microscopy Techniques in Coatings Research
(Room 234-236)
10 Apr 18
3:00 PM
-
3:30 PM
Tracks:
Session 12: Measuring & Testing II, Session 12: Measuring, Testing & Automation
Microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy are complementary techniques and the combination of the two can provide the most complete information regarding the distributions of different coatings ingredients, as well as the fate and the impact of liquids or particulates that come in contact with the dried coating films. Confocal Raman microscopes, for example, combine the sensitivity and specificity of spectroscopy and are thus powerful, non-destructive analytical tools for mapping relative spatial locations of various chemical species in heterogeneous systems like coating films.This paper reports new applications of two confocal microscopy techniques in coatings research: 1) to detect low levels of surfactants leached out of dry paint films; 2) to determine the location of paint additives to confirm either uniform spatial distribution or surface segregation; 3) to semi-quantitatively characterize adsorption, penetration and removal of liquid stains that contain an inherently fluorescent compound. Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) and confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) are employed to analyze and solve some coatings common problems such as surfactant leaching, stain resistance, and washability. The usefulness and advantages of these confocal techniques are demonstrated by the examples given in this paper.