Application of Spectroscopy and Microscopy Techniques in Surface Coatings Evaluation: A Review

This article presents a review of the published articles related to the novel application of spectroscopy and microscopy methods in paint and coatings quality evaluation. Traditional and simple techniques have been used in paint and coating industry for many years and proven to be effective. However, the paint and coating industry faces new formulations with nontraditional applications. Therefore, the industry needs to adjust itself with the current sophisticated production and testing methods. There are a number of modern microscopy and spectroscopy techniques that can be utilized in the paint and coating industry for a better understanding of the product quality and/or application performance. This, in particular, is highly applicable in modern and nontraditional applications such as nanotechnology and smart coatings. Though importance of spectroscopy and microscopy methods is being increasingly recognized in the industry, there is no current comprehensive review available to highlight the need for novel application of these techniques in surface coatings evaluations.