QC SOLUTIONS

FOR COATINGS
Contents The Objective Eye
The Objective Eye for
Consistent Color and
2-3
for Consistent Color
and Appearance
Appearance

THEORY

Color Measurement 4-5 A world without color and shine, wouldn’t this be
of Solid Colors
boring? Decorative coatings can be encountered
Color Measurement 6-7 every day and everywhere: on furniture, building
of Effect Colors
facades, bridges and refrigerators. Even “White
Gloss Measurement 8-9 Goods” are no longer necessarily white, but
Orange Peel & DOI 10 - 11
exhibit fascinating color looks – from very elegant
Measurement stainless steel to metallic effects on to colorful,
Temperature Measurement 12 - 13
glossy or textured surfaces.

Coatings are fascinating. Not much thicker than a human hair, they combine a variety of
APPLICATION
functions. Besides the requirement to look perfect under different lighting conditions, they
are also expected to retain their good look over a long time and even when being
Raw Materials 14 - 19
exposed to harsh environments. A multitude of color shades are available to offer the right
nuance for every taste. The challenge is to find a precise measurement procedure to replace
Architectural Coatings 20 - 23
individual perception and personal experience with objective numbers.
Architectural Coatings – 24 - 25
In-store Color Matching

Industrial Coatings 26 - 31

Wood Coatings 32 - 33

BYK-GARDNER SOLUTIONS 34 - 39
FOR COATINGS

2
 BYK-Gardner

Consistent color and appearance are crucial before as well as as well as our deficiency to communicate color and color
after sale. The visual impression during the first ten seconds differences. A color looks different in the department store
will establish our perceptual quality opinion and be the driving (cool white fluorescent lighting) than at home (warm,
factor in our purchasing decision. Uniformity, which is also incandescent lighting). Effect colors will even change their
called harmony for products consisting of several components, appearance depending on the type of daylight conditions
is also important. This is of particular importance when parts being sunny or cloudy. In order to guarantee consistent color
are manufactured in different production sites or are made by and appearance under all possible situations, it is essential to
different suppliers. define numerical parameters with customer relevant tolerances,
which can be controlled in daily production and communicated
Visual color perception is influenced by our individual color among the entire supply chain of raw material and final product
preferences, which are dependent on personal factors (mood, suppliers. A high quality production process should only be
age, gender etc.), environment (lighting, surrounding etc.) based on figures and facts and not emotions.

Consistent color and appearance needs an OBJECTIVE EYE!

BYK-Gardner offers complete quality control solutions for your application in coatings.

3
Color Measurement of Solid Colors
Honey Yellow, Raspberry Red, Sapphire Blue or Moss Green are very
appealing and descriptive color names. But are you sure that every
person means the same color by it? Usually not. How do you clearly
describe a color and guarantee that same color over time?

Our color perception is dependent on our individual “taste”, ISO and ASTM standards define the surroundings as portion of
which is influenced by our mood, gender, age, but also the the visual field immediately surrounding the specimens as well as
light source used, the viewing environment being light or dark, the ambient visual field, when the observes glances away from
neutral or colorful as well as our deficiency to exactly remember the specimen, such as the interior surfaces of the light booth. It
and communicate one specific color. shall have the color with Munsell notation N5-N7 and a 60° gloss
not greater than 15 GU.
Standardized viewing conditions
For controlled visual and instrumental evaluation the light The observer for visual appraisal should have normal color
source, the surrounding and the observer are to be defined. vision and be trained in observing and classifying colors. Visual
Colors may match under one light source (daylight), but not tests are recommended to check an observer’s color vision
under another (fluorescent light). This effect is known as periodically as it can change over time (see Guide ASTM E1499).
metamerism and is a crucial quality requirement for multi- The observer for instrumental color control was standardized
component products. Therefore, the match needs to be verified with two different viewing fields: 2° standard observer and 10°
with the kind of light likely to be found where the product is standard observer. Today mainly the 10° observer functions are
sold or used. The CIE (Commission International de l’Éclairage) used as the eye integrates over a larger area.
standardized commonly used light sources.

2° Observer (1931)
Relative Energy

10° Observer (1964)

z y x

400 500 600 700

Wavelength (nm)

byko-spectra pro
Light booth for standardized visual
color appraisal
• Metamerism control – sample pairs can be
evaluated under up to eight CIE illuminants
D65/D75-A/HZ-CWF/TL84/U30-UV
• Excellent simulation of daylight D65 using halogen
lamps combined with LEDs: CIE class A category
• Daylight lifetime lasts 600 hrs and change is
automatically indicated
• Adjustable light intensity for optimum viewing of
dark and light colors
• Automatic sequence mode for efficient
metamerism evaluation
4
 SOLID COLORS
Standardized measurement parameters Standardized instrument geometries
For instrumental color measurement the optical properties International standards define the geometric conditions of
of the product need to be measured. A spectrophotometer spectrophotometers:
measures the amount of light that is reflected by the object
at different wavelengths in the visible range (400–700 nm). Detector Detector
0° viewing
The reflectance curve shows the spectral data and acts as a 8° viewing

“finger print” for the object color. Light

Source
8° Baffles
Light source
R (%) 45° illumination Diffused
Illumination
Baffles
Sample

45/0 geometry d/8 geometry

400 700 nm
45/0 – Control color as you see it
For final QC of solid colors a 45° circumferential illumination
Internationally standardized color systems, like the widely is defined to achieve repeatable results on unstructured and
used CIELab system, combine data of standardized illuminant, structured surfaces.
standardized observer and spectral reflection data in three color d/8 – Control the hue of a color
components describing the lightness, hue and chromaticity of If the color without influence of surface gloss or texture is to be
a color. controlled, diffused illumination is required.

L* = 100
References
+ b*
C*
CIE 15 Colorimetry
- a* hϒ
+ a*
ISO 3668 Visual Comparison of the Color of Paints
- b* ASTM D1729 Visual Appraisal of Color Differences
L* = 0

Tolerances are established either on each color component

or on the total color difference ΔE*.

∆E* = √ (∆L*)2 + (∆a*)2 + (∆b*)2

Over the years new color systems and equations (ΔECMC

– ΔE94 – ΔE99 – ΔE2000) were developed based on visual
comparison studies for solid colors to improve the visual
correlation, which shows elliptical tolerance behavior. CMC Tolerance Ellipsoids in CIELab Color Space

spectro2guide
The revolution in portable color control
• Color, gloss and new fluorescence measurement in one instrument
• Balanced and upfront design with large 3.5” color touchscreen
• Docking station with built-in standard for automatic calibration
• Live preview of measurement spot with zoom function
• Smart high tech LEDs with peak performance for Digital Standards
• Data analysis out-of-the-box with WiFi or USB connection

5
Color Measurement of Effect Colors
Innovative effects with color flip-flop and sparkle have also found their
way into other industries besides automotive. Brilliant, high quality
finishes emphasize the excellent quality of appliances, furniture,
architectural elements and many other industrially coated products.

Multi-angle color evaluation Visual effect evaluation

In contrast to solid colors, effect finishes change their color and The latest developments are special effect pigments, which
appearance with viewing angle and lighting conditions. Metallic create high sparkling effects under direct illumination. Viewed
finishes will show a lightness travel depending on the viewing under diffused lighting conditions the sparkling effect will
angle. Pearl colors with special interference pigments can not disappear as the light intensity is equal from all directions.
only show a lightness change with different viewing angle, but Therefore, metallic pigments will look more or less grainy
also a change in chroma and hue (color travel). depending on the flake size and a pearl will look more like a
solid color. Under direct illumination, i.e. the light intensity
International standards define measurement geometries for comes from mainly one direction (sunny sky), the same metallic
multi-angle color measurement to objectively describe the color or effect finish will look completely different showing small light
of metallic finishes. Research studies show that a minimum flashes with low to high intensity. In contrast to graininess, the
of three, and depending on the effect finish up to six viewing sparkle effect is depending on the illumination angle resulting in
angles are needed. a sparkle travel.
45°
25° Specular
75° 15°
45°

Lamp

-15°
110°

As the color perception of effect finishes is changing by viewing

angle it is necessary to define different tolerances for each References
viewing angle. Therefore, new color equations based on visual
correlation studies were developed: DIN 6175-2 Tolerances for Automotive Paints – Part 2:
Goniochromatic Colors
• ΔE94 with lightness travel (Rodrigues, 2004)
ASTM E2194 Multiangle Color Measurement of Metal
• ΔEeff (DIN 6175-2, 2001) Flake Pigmented Materials
• ΔEAudi2000 (Dauser, 2012)

byko-spectra effect light booth

Standardized visual evaluation of effect finishes
Multi-angle color evaluation Sparkle evaluation
• Daylight illumination at 45° • Illumination at three angles (15°, 45°, 75°)

• Tiltable sample table with six viewing • Very bright LEDs to simulate direct sunlight
angles (-15°, 15°, 25°, 45°, 75°, 110°)
• 10 year warranty on LEDs
• Timer to track daylight lamp usage

6
Instrumental effect measurement

EFFECT COLORS
In order to objectively measure effect characteristics, the new
BYK-mac i combines a multi-angle spectrophotometer (6-angle
color measurement) with a second measurement set-up for
sparkle and graininess evaluation. A CCD camera takes pictures
under various lighting conditions:

•D
 iffused illumination with two white LEDs built-into a white
coated hemisphere

•D
 irect illumination at three angles with three white super
bright LEDs
CCD-Chip

15° 45°
Sparkle Sparkle
15°

45°
75°
Sparkle
Graininess A sparkle tolerance model was developed, which allows setting
75° a maximum limit value for “Delta Sparkle” similar to a weighted
total color difference equation.

( ) ( )
2 2
The pictures are analyzed using the histogram of lightness f1 (SaStd, dSa, SiStd, dSi) f2 (SaStd, dSa, SiStd, dSi)
dS = +
levels of the individual pixels as the base information. The Tol_Gr Tol_Gr x Tol_GF
uniformity of light and dark areas is summarized in one
graininess value. A graininess value of zero would indicate a
solid color. The higher the value, the grainier or coarser the
sample will look under diffused light.

In case of sparkling, a threshold is set and only the very

bright pixels above the threshold are evaluated. To allow a
better differentiation, the impression of sparkle is described
by a two dimensional system: sparkle area and sparkle
intensity for each angle.
28 8 +dS_i smart-lab
6
21
4
Sparkle intensity 15°

2
14
-dS_a +dS_a
0
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8
7 -2

-4

0
0 7 14 21 28 -6

Sparkle area 15° -8 -dS_i

BYK-mac i
Portable multi-angle color & effect control
• 6-angle color measurement for light-dark and color flop

• Sparkling and graininess analysis

• Detection of fluorescent light excited in the visible range

• Unique LED technology

→ Excellent technical performance
→ No need for lamp exchange
→ The key to a global QC system using digital standards
7
BYK-Gardner GmbH, Lausitzer Straße 8, 82538 Geretsried · Tel. +49-8171-0 · BYK-Gardner USA, Phone 800-343-7721 · www.byk.com
Gloss
Measurement
Glossy, semi-glossy, satin-
finished or matte – how would
you like your refrigerator or
living room wall to appear?
This is of course a matter of
personal taste and preference.
However – once defined, the
specified appearance needs to
be supplied in a constant and
controlled quality.

Gloss measurement Gloss meter

Gloss is a visual impression dependent on the surface condition. International standards define the measurement of specular
The more direct light is reflected, the more obvious the impression reflection with a gloss meter. The light intensity is measured
of gloss will be. A high gloss refrigerator has a smooth surface over a small range of the reflection angle.
which reflects images distinctly, almost like a mirror. The incident Detector
light is directly reflected on the surface, i.e. only in the main
direction of reflection. The angle of reflection is equal to the
angle of incidence.

A light source, simulating CIE illuminant C, is placed at the focal

point of a collimating lens. A receptor lens with an aperture in
the focal plane followed by an illumination detector completes
the basic optical design.
A matt emulsion paint for interior walls includes matting agents
which produce a micro roughness scattering the light diffusely The intensity is dependent on the material and the angle
in all directions. The more uniform the light is scattered, the less of illumination. The measurement results are related to the
intense the reflection will be in the main direction. The surface amount of reflected light from a black gloss standard with
will appear more and more matte. a defined refractive index. The measurement value for this
defined standard is equal to 100 gloss units. Materials with a
higher refractive index can have a measurement value above
100 gloss units (GU).

References
ISO 2813 Determination of Specular Gloss of Non-
Metallic Paint Films at 20°, 60°, 85°

ASTM D523 Standard Test Method for Specular Gloss

8
 GLOSS
The angle of illumination is of high influence. In order to obtain Gloss level 60° value Recommended
a clear differentiation over the complete measurement range geometry
from high gloss to matte, three geometries, i.e. three different
ranges, are standardized: Semi gloss 10 to 70 units 60° geometry
High gloss > 70 units 20° geometry
Low gloss < 10 units 85° geometry

In a case study 13 samples were visually ranked from matte to

20°
high gloss and measured with the three specified geometries. In
60° the steep slope of the curves, the differences between the samples
can be clearly measured, while in the flat part the measurement
geometry no longer correlates with the visual perception.
85°
Low Gloss Semi Gloss High Gloss
100
90
80
70
20°
Why three different gloss ranges? 60 60°
50
A single measurement geometry, such as 60°, may not provide 85°
40
instrument readings of gloss that correlate well with visual
30
observations when comparing different gloss levels. This is 20
why international standards provide for measurement at three 10
different angles of incidence, namely 20°, 60°, and 85°. Each
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
of the three geometries uses the same source aperture, but a
different receptor aperture. The choice of geometry depends on
whether one is making a general evaluation of gloss, comparing Haze measurement
high gloss finishes or evaluating low gloss specimens for sheen. Micro structures caused by e.g. poor dispersion, can create a
The 60° geometry is used for comparing most specimens and milky appearance. The majority of the incident light is reflected
for determining when the 20° or 85° geometry may be more in the specular direction which makes the surface appear highly
applicable. The 20° geometry is advantageous for comparing glossy. Due to the microscopic texture some light is diffused with
specimens having 60° gloss values higher than 70. The 85° low intensity adjacent to the specular reflection which will result
geometry is used for comparing specimens for sheen or near in a high gloss surface with haze on top of it. Therefore, the
grazing shininess. It is most frequently applied when specimens haze-gloss has two additional haze sensors next to the 20° gloss
have 60° gloss values lower than 10. detector measuring the intensity of the diffused light.

Sensor
20°

Haze

micro-gloss Gloss

The new intelligence in

gloss measurement
• Unsurpassed industry standard in gloss measurement

• 1- angle and 3-angle gloss meters for high gloss to

matte finishes

• Automatic calibration check in holder

• Measurement modes for any task:

Statistics – Difference – Pass/Fail

• Continuous mode for uniformity check of

large surface areass

• Wireless data transfer

9
Orange Peel and DOI Measurement
Eye catching finishes should just be “beautiful” – what does this
mean in regards to appearance? Some like it a bit wavy and brilliant,
twinkling as a water surface, whereas others prefer the perfectly
smooth appearance like a mirror. The expression “Orange Peel”
is widely used to describe structures typically found on coatings.
Amount and size of such structures depend on the paint type and
the application conditions, but also on the end use.

The visibility and appearance of structures depend on their size, Image Forming Quality
the observing distance, and the image forming quality. The higher contrast and sharpness of a reflected object, e.g. the
edges of black and white lines, the better the image forming
Structure size quality will be. Fine structures disturb the reflected image.
Surfaces with different structures will appear visually different. Consequently edges become blurry and are no longer sharp.

Small structure Large structure Low contrast High contrast

Orange peel can be seen on high gloss surfaces as a wavy At a close distance, the image forming quality is diminished by
pattern of light and dark areas. Depending on the slope of the very fine structures close to the resolution of the human eye.
structure element the light is reflected in various directions. Only This is often described with terms like brilliance, sharpness, or
the elements reflecting the light in the direction of our eyes are distinctness of image (DOI). At a larger distance (approximately
perceived as light areas. 3 m), the image forming quality is mainly influenced by structures
between 1 - 3 mm. This effect is referred to as Wet Look.

Simulation of the visual perception waviness

Like our eyes, the wave-scan optically scans the wavy light/dark
pattern. A laser point source illuminates the specimen at a 60°
angle and a detector measures the reflected light intensity at
the equal but opposite angle. The orange peel meter is rolled
across the surface and measures point by point the optical
profile of the surface over a defined distance.

Observation distance
The visibility of an object decreases with increasing observing
distance. Structures with a size of 10 to 30 mm can best be
seen at a distance of approximately 3 m. Fine structures with a
Laser
wavelength of 0.1 to 1 mm can only be recognized at a close Optical Profile

distance. Very fine structures that are below the resolution

Filter
of the human eye (approximately 0.1 mm) can no longer be
recognized as a light and dark pattern, but as a reduction of
the image forming quality (IFQ), i.e. brilliance.
Wa Wb Wc Wd We
0.1 mm wavelength 30 mm

10
 ORANGE PEEL AND DOI MEASUREMENT
The wave-scan analyzes the structures according to their size. Structure spectrum
In order to simulate the resolution of the human eye at various The values of dullness and Wa to We form a “structure
distances, the measurement signal is divided into several ranges spectrum” which allows a detailed analysis of orange peel and
using mathematical filter functions: its influencing factors. The example below shows the influence
of clear coat film thickness on the appearance. Increasing film
Wa 0.1 – 0.3 mm wavelength build improves flow and levelling. In the graph, this can be seen
Wb 0.3 – 1.0 mm wavelength in decreasing Wc and Wd values.
Wc 1.0 – 3.0 mm wavelength
Wd 3.0 – 10.0 mm wavelength 40
We 10.0 – 30.0 mm wavelength
30
SW 0.3 – 1.2 mm wavelength
LW 1.2 – 12.0 mm wavelength 20

10
Dullness
Structures that are smaller than 0.1 mm influence the visual 0
perception. Therefore, the wave-scan uses a CCD camera to <0.1 0.1-0.3 0.3-1 1-3 3-10 10-30mm
du Wa Wb Wc Wd We
measure the diffused light caused by these fine structures. This
parameter is referred to as “dullness”. X 16 µm X 24 µm X 30 µm X 50 µm

20°

Camera

wave-scan dual
The industry standard for reliable
appearance control
• Good correlation to visual perception

• Orange Peel & DOI on high and medium gloss surfaces

• Easy-to-use on flat and curved samples

• Scroll wheel operation with intuitive operation

• Professional data analysis and documentation with smart-chart software

11
Temperature Measurement
“Caution Hot!” Not only hot beverages should be handled with care, but
this is also true for baked coating systems used in today’s mass production.
Optimum curing is the prerequisite to achieve the high mechanical and
appearance QC requirements specified for finished products. In order to
avoid rejects and ensure consistent quality, the exact temperature profile
of the baking oven must be controlled on a routine schedule.

The traditional range of baked coating systems has changed

Temperature Time
considerably with the introduction of environmental friendly
systems e.g. high solids, water-borne paint systems and powder
Min Temp 140 °C
coatings. Drying times vary from a few minutes to half an hour
Low Temp 180 °C 20 min
dependent on the paint material and production process. The
Ref Temp 190 °C 15 min
right catalysts and amount of heat initiate the cross-linking
High Temp 200 °C 15 min
process among the various components in the paint system.
Max Temp 220 °C
Paint properties largely depend on the cross-linking quality.

Poor curing can lead to failures: In a second step, it is essential to check on a regular basis
• Insufficient adhesion to the substrate whether the production oven works properly. The method of
• Insufficient elasticity to resist mechanical stress heating the oven (gas, oil, electricity), the air distribution, as well
• Insufficient surface hardness as the assembly line speed must be taken into consideration. The
• Premature aging, brittleness, and chipping which can oven temperature is influenced by power variations and oven
lead to rust and corrosion construction. The object temperature depends on parameters
• Discoloration and loss of gloss such as material, material thickness, geometrical shape, size
and the place of suspension (top, middle, bottom). In order to
In order to determine the optimal cross-linking parameters guarantee a consistent temperature at a set baking time, it is
of a system, a series of tests must be carried out at different necessary to directly measure the object temperature.
baking temperatures. As a result, the paint supplier specifies
the minimum and maximum temperature which determines the The necessary components of an effective temperature
limits of an optimal curing process. The following table shows measuring system include:
specifications of a powder coating system. • Temperature probes to gather temperature information
• Temperature recorder to collect the data
• Thermal barrier to protect the temperature recorder
• Software to generate a temperature profile and analyze
curing data

Temperature Recorder
The recorder accompanies the object on its way through the
oven. Often a dummy product is used instead of the coated
product. The measurement system stores the analog signals of
the temperature probes in digital form. The recording module
is protected by a thermal barrier made of stainless steel with
temperature safe insulation.

temp-gard
Innovative oven temperature recorder
• Large color display with temperature graph • Highly accurate – long-term stable results are guaranteed

• Data transfer via USB stick – no probe changes • Robust, but light weight and easy to carry thermal barrier
between runs

12
 TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
Temperature Probes for any Application
Temperature probes are an essential part of a temperature
measurement system. They are placed at critical points on the
object to record an accurate temperature profile throughout the
process. All BYK-Gardner probes are high quality thermocouple
type “K” probes and conform to ANSI MC 96.1 (special limits
of error: 1.1 °C or 0.4 %). A variety of designs are available
to meet the specific requirements of different measurement
locations and material types.

Temperature Probes
• Magnet and clamp probes for air and object temperature
• Probes with exposed junction for hard to access areas
• Self-adhesive foil probes – ideal for small items
• Eyelet probes for very high temperatures of up-to 500 °C
• IR probes for IR oven controls
Temperature Data Analysis Software
• Choice of connection cable length: 1.5 m, 3 m and 8 m
In order to efficiently analyze the temperature data a
•Q uick response time: 5 seconds to 2.5 minutes depending
professional software is needed. Thus, the curing process
on probe style
can be optimized. The software will merge the temperature
• Can be used as replacement probes for other dataloggers
data with oven parameters and analysis criteria to generate
a temperature profile. Data will be stored in a database for
documentation and easy future access. The oven process
can be optimized with means of the BYK-Gardner cure
index (Porsche value). The cure index is calculated based on
the energy that was applied to the paint system during the
complete baking process. A value of 100 % is ideal. Values below
100 % mean the system is not completely cured; values above
are a hint for over curing. Additionally, the cure chart offers
a visual aide to quickly determine the minimum temperature
at the shortest baking time. The cure chart also provides
information on over or under cure conditions of the oven.

210°
over cured
Object temperature

190°
temp-chart
Acceptable process window

170°
Software developed in close
Cr

cooperation with the industry

Id ss a
o
ea re
l a

under cured
150°
0 10 20 30 40 Min. • Definition of measurement setup, sensor names and location
Baking time
Baking time • Standard QC reports: critical values, cure index, peak/slope
0 10 20 30 40 Min.
150°
under cured • Pass/Fail display – limits based on critical values or cure index
ae la
r
erutarepmettcejbO

a edI

• Trend analysis – comparison of check zones over time

ss

170°
or
C

Acceptable process window

190°

over cured
210°
13
 Raw Materials – what
goes in is important
“The first step is always the hardest”. This also applies when formulating
a coating. The application of the final finish determines the selection
of the raw materials. Not only are mechanical properties like abrasion
resistance and adhesion important, but also optical attributes like
color, gloss and opacity; and one cannot forget the overall costs of the
formulation. In order to guarantee consistent quality a routine quality
control system needs to be established at the very first production step.

Paint is a liquid or powdery coating that is applied on objects as (sparkle and metallic gloss), flop, distinctness of image etc., are
a very thin layer. By means of chemical or physical processes, influenced by particle size / shape, particle-size distribution and
it converts to an adherent film. Paint normally consists of the smoothness of the surface. The coarser the pigments and the
following components: rounder their shape, the higher the proportion of reflected light
• Pigments and, thus, the more the metallic look is pronounced.
• Binder
• Fillers In the graph below a comparison of three silver dollar pigments
• Additives with different flake size (25 µm – 34 µm – 54 µm) is shown.
• Solvents / Water (not in powder coatings) Visually, the silver finish with the coarser aluminum pigment
appears more sparkling under direct illumination and grainier
Pigments under diffused lighting.
Pigments are fine solid particles, which are substantially
insoluble in the vehicle. They ensure hiding of the background 15° 16 + dS_i dG
dS
and generate the color impression. In modern industrial coatings, 8 12
8
6
solid absorption pigments, as well as metallic and pearlescent 8
4
6
pigments are used. 4
2
- dS_a + ds_a
4 0 0
-16 -12 -8 Grafikstil wird
-4 0 4 8 12 16
Metallic pigments -4 -2
noch angepasst
Metallic pigments are very thin platelet-shaped particles made 2 -8 -4

-6 Standard: Metallux 2154 (25 µm)

out of aluminum or bronze. They act like small mirrors and -12
Metallux R 274 (34 µm)
0 -8
directly reflect the light causing a light-dark flop when changing dS -16 - dS_i dG Metallux R 272 (54 µm)

viewing angle. Depending on the aluminum granulates and

the process used, either irregular Cornflakes or round Silver The BYK-mac i data correlate with the visual judgment: sparkle
Dollar particles are formed. Their properties, such as brilliance area, sparkle intensity and graininess increase with flake site.

BYK-Gardner Solution

CCD-Chip
45°
25° Specular
75° 15° 45°
45° 15°
Sparkle Sparkle
15°
Lamp
45°
-15°
110° 75°
Sparkle
Graininess

75°

Multi-angle Color & Effect 6-angle Color Measurement Sparkle and Graininess Measurement
BYK-mac i

14
 RAW MATERIALS
Pearlescent pigments
Pearlescent pigments usually consist of a transparent core 40 +b*
Behind the gloss
material that is covered with different layers of metal oxide. 30 -15°

A trick copied from nature is used: White light is refracted at 20

the boundary layers and dispersed into its component – the 10

-a* +a*
colors of the rainbow. This causes an extraordinary color travel -30 -20 -10
0
0 10 20 30
effect that depends on the differences of refractive indices -10

between core material and metal oxide layer, the thickness Courtesy of Merck
-20
Courtesy of Merck
of the metal oxide layer and the viewing angle. Typically -30
Traditional 5-angles
the interference color can be seen on the opposite side of -40 -b*

the specular reflection. Therefore, the BYK-mac i uses an

additional measurement angle at -15°. The a*b*-chart on the
right shows measurement data of the pigment Colorstream®
200
Viola Fantasy. The color changes from purple to green. With
the traditional multi-angle spectrophotometers (blue line) the 160
shift to green cannot be captured. Only by taking an additional
120
reading at -15° “behind” the gloss, the numbers agree with
R (%)

visual perception. 80

The color change from purple to green can also be seen in 40

the spectral curves. It is typical for a pearlescent pigment that
0
when using the same illumination angle, but taking readings at
500 600 700 mm
-15°, the reflection maximum is shifted to shorter wavelengths
-15° 15° 25° 45° 75° 110°
compared to the 15° measurement angle. Therefore, in this
case, the color appears green.

Objective Visual Evaluation Color Travel Sparkle Travel

byko-spectra effect Illumination and Sample pivot together Direct illumination under 15°/45°/75°

15
 Color Measurement of Titanium dioxide (TiO2)
Titanium dioxide is the brightest, whitest pigment available.
Due to its high refractive index (even higher than diamond) it
effectively scatters the light and provides maximum opacity for
a coating. Rutile is the most common natural form of TiO2 and
preferred over anatase because of the lower photocatalytic
activities and thus, better weather stability of the final coating.

The purity of TiO2 is process related. The chloride process

makes up purer and brighter grades than the sulfate process. The standardized CIE colorimetric values L* and b* are used
Additionally, impurities introduced by treatment chemicals to characterize brightness and undertone: the higher the L*
or extraneous metal ions within the crystallites can degrade value, the higher the brightness, the lower the b* value, the less
brightness. They usually discolor the pigment towards grey yellow the appearance. In the table below, results for different
or yellow. grades of TiO2 are displayed. The spectro2guide can be used
to measure CIELab color numbers. The instrument stores and
One way to perform a color measurement is to incorporate the directly transfers measurement data to smart-chart data analysis
TiO2 pigment into the coatings system of the final application. Software.
To ensure a smooth and homogeneous surface, the paint is
applied to opacity drawdown charts with an automatic film Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4
applicator. The charts are made of black and white areas that
are large enough to be measured with color instruments. An Brightness L* 96.6 97.4 97.3 97.2
alternative is to take readings on dry pressed pucks. The pucks Undertone b* 2.1 1.5 1.5 1.5
are made by applying high pressure to the dry TiO2 which
is contained by a ring. The pressure is essential as it is the Besides brightness and undertone, optimum hiding power and
driving force to compact the pigment and hold it together for tinting strength are properties that the TiO2 pigment has to
measurement. The face of the puck is then measurement with meet (see page 20 “Architectural Coatings” and page 28
a spectrophotometer. “Industrial Coatings”).

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Solid Color & Gloss Gloss Gloss & Haze

spectro2guide micro-gloss haze-gloss

16
 RAW MATERIALS
Gloss and Haze Measurement of Titanium dioxide (TiO2) Fillers
Gloss and haze level of a TiO2 pigment is mainly controlled by the Fillers are solid particles, which are virtually insoluble in the
primary particle size and the number of particles with a diameter vehicle. They serve to increase the volume of the paint and to
larger than 0.5 µm. To achieve glossy finishes with improved improve mechanical and optical properties. They are usually less
distinctness of image, oversized particles have to be minimized. expensive than other pigments and reduce the overall costs of
The haze-gloss is an objective tool to measure matte to high-gloss a paint formulation. Among all, calcium carbonate fillers are
surfaces by offering three gloss geometries (20°, 60°, 85°) as quantitatively the most important class. They exhibit a neutral
well as reflectance haze measurement in one unit. However, to tone and a high brightness (L* ≥ 95) and can therefore be used
measure gloss and haze the TiO2 has to be incorporated in the to substitute TiO2. As their mean particle size is larger and their
coatings system and a drawdown has to be made. refractive index is lower, care has to be taken to achieve the
required hiding power. New synthetically produced calcium
Gloss and Haze dependent on dispersing time carbonate types are available which consider the aforementioned.
fineness µm gloss haze
In a medium class interior paint formulation with 12.5 % TiO2
100
100 and a PVC (pigment volume concentration) of 76 % the amount
80
80 fineness µm gloss haze of TiO2 was substituted 1:1 by the new calcium carbonate type.
10060 The graph below shows the results: Opacity as well as brightness
60
8040 compared to the standard formulation did not change up to a
40
6020
TiO2 substitution of 60 %.1)
20
0
40 0
5 min. 15 min. 25 min. 45 min. Substitution of TiO2
5 min. 15 min. 25 min. 45 min.
dispersing time
20

0 Fineness µm Gloss Haze 100

5 min. 15 min. 25 min. 45 min.
dispersing time
98
During the dispersion process, the pigments are dispersed 96
into small particles: the smaller the particles, the smoother the
surface. The graph above shows the influence of degree of 94
dispersion on gloss and haze. Pigment particles that are smaller 92
than 10 µm show a tremendous reduction in haze and a slight
increase in gloss, resulting in a glossy finish with improved 90
Standard 20 % TiO2 40 % TiO2 60 % TiO2 80 % TiO2
imaging forming qualities. Formulation Substitution Substitution Substitution Substitution

X Opacity (%) 200 μm X Brightness Y

Absorption pigments
Organic and inorganic absorption pigments selectively absorb
and scatter the incident light. Besides the color itself, tinting In this experiment only an increase in 85° gloss from 4 to 7 gloss
strength is one of the most important properties that need units was monitored.
to be controlled. Tinting strength is directly influenced by the
pigment type and concentration used in the coating system Dr. Petra Fritzen; Solvay Chemicals GmbH: Ein gut gefülltes Paket; Farbe und
1) 

Lack (June 2015); page 58 – 62

(see page 28 “Industrial Coatings”).

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17
 Binder Additives
The binder or resin combines all solid components of the Additives are substances that are added to a coating in very small
coating and acts as the film former. It imparts mechanical amounts to improve properties such as wetting and dispersing,
properties such as hardness, flexibility and adhesion. The flow and leveling, defoaming or can act as matting agent.
binder itself is clear and glossy.
Wetting and Dispersing Additives
Resin systems are subject to degradation by thermal and photo One of the most important steps in the production of
induced oxidation. Therefore, resistance against weathering pigmented coatings is the homogeneous distribution and
and UV radiation needs to be ensured. This is highly important stabilization of pigments and fillers within the liquid binder
for corrosion coatings that protect objects like bridges, storage solution. If this step is not optimized, a variety of defects can
tanks or steel structures against environmental influences. Tests occur: e.g. flocculation, gloss reduction, color shift and settling.
are either done by using accelerating weathering chambers Wetting and dispersing additives are surface-active substances
or under real-world conditions. The most popular weathering that improve the wetting of solids and prevent the flocculation
areas are located in Arizona and South Florida. of the particles.

In the example below, two different types of silicone-epoxy Influence of wetting/dispersing additive
resins were exposed. As displayed in the graph, type 2 started 120
at a higher initial 60° gloss and even after 42 months of Florida
exposure continues to maintain a much higher gloss level than 80
type 1.
40
Outdoor weathering
0
Gloss Haze
90
X Control X Disperbyk 110 X New Product

80
60° Gloss

The diagram above shows the influence of wetting/

70 dispersing additives on the dispersion quality. Two
different additives used in a solvent-free coating system
60 are compared with the same system without additive
(= control). The new product perfectly stabilizes the
50 pigments resulting in an increased 20° gloss value and a
0 6 12 18 24 30 36 42
significant reduction in haze.
Exposure months
Type 1 Type 2
Flow and Leveling Additives
The chapter “Industrial coatings” discusses an application
Color retention was excellent for both systems. After 42
how the orange peel of powder coatings can be optimized
months of outside exposure they exhibit a ΔE* of less than 1
by using the flow & levelling additive BYK-3902 P.
compared to the control.
Measurements were taken using the wave-scan instrument
(see page 30).

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Solid Color & Gloss Gloss Gloss & Haze

spectro2guide micro-gloss haze-gloss

18
 RAW MATERIALS
Rheology Additives
Rheology additives are used to adjust the flow behavior of
the coating. For example waxes are utilized to improve the
orientation of effect pigments. In the following example
a waterborne system was evaluated using three different
rheology additives: a standard system, an acrylic thickener and
the wax additive AQUATIX®. Visually, the three panels look
Matting Agents the same under direct illumination at a steep angle. When
Dependent on their particle size, wax additives can have an comparing at a lower grazing angle, the system using the wax
influence on the surface gloss. Usually, particle sizes larger additive shows less sparkling.
than 1 µm produce a matting effect. CERAFLOUR 1000 is a
micronized polymer with wax-like properties to improve surface 28 28

protection and haptics (soft feel effect). It has a matting effect, 24 24

Sparkle intensity 15°

Sparkle intensity 75°

especially in radiation curable systems. The graph below shows 20 20

the influence of additive concentration on the gloss level of a 16 16

1-K AC-PU Copolymer Dispersion. Even after 4 week storage at 12 12

8 8
40°C the matting effect isn`t hardly reduced.
4 4

Influence of additive concentration 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28

40 Sparkle area 15° Sparkle area 75°

30 Aquatix Acrylic Thickener Standard System

60° Gloss

20
BYK-mac i measurement data correlate with a visual
10 judgment. The sparkle area for the system with wax additive
0 at 75° is smaller than for the two other systems. As Sparkle
Start 4 weeks at RT 4 weeks at 40°C 75° evaluates flakes which are non-parallel oriented, this
X 2 % CERAFLOUR 1000 X 5 % CERAFLOUR 1000 clearly shows that by using the wax additive AQUATIX® the
orientation of the aluminum flakes is improved.

Orange Peel & DOI Multi-angle Color & Effect

wave-scan BYK-mac i

19
 Architectural Coatings –
Goodbye to dreary
White houses with blue roofs,
that is the popular image of
the Greek island Santorin. But
nowadays architectural coatings
are not only offered in “white”,
but in a wide range of colors and
nuances to satisfy everybody’s
taste. Nevertheless, besides their
decorative purpose, architectural
coatings must provide certain
durable and protective functions
to interior and exterior surfaces.
In order to comply with important
quality criteria and guarantee
consistency, a routine quality
control system needs to be
established.

As architectural coatings are used to paint buildings and Determination of hiding properties
homes, they are utilized by professionals as well as do-it-yourself Opacity is an important property of architectural paint. One coat
painters. Professionals tend to be more sensitive to application hiding reduces labor costs of a paint job and is a competitive
characteristics, whereas homeowners simply paint the wall with advantage in promoting paints to professionals.
the new color but still want the paint to resist color and gloss
changes with aging or abrasion. For quick visual assessments of opacity the paint is very often
applied on black & white checkerboard charts by roller or brush.
In order to achieve objective and reliable data reflectance
measurements are done with a spectrophotometer.

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20
 ARCHITECTURAL COATINGS
Opacity is the ability of a finish to hide the substrate below. It is
Opacity %
also referred to as contrast ratio or hiding power. Contrast ratio
is defined as the ratio of the reflectance of a film being applied 99.0
on a black substrate to that of an identical film on a white
substrate. Opacity (%) is simply the contrast ratio multiplied by 98.0
100 to get a percentage value.
97.0
Yblack
Opacity (%) = x 100 % 96.0
Ywhite Low pigmented High pigmented

To ensure a smooth and homogeneous surface, the paint is In the graph above two differently pigmented wall paints are
applied to opacity drawdown charts with an automatic film evaluated. They are applied with 200 µm film thickness. The
applicator. The charts are made of black and white areas that lower pigmented system shows a significant lower opacity than
are large enough to be measured with color instruments having the higher pigmented paint.
a d/8 measuring geometry. After being dried for at least 24
hours the average of three readings are to be taken on the As opacity checks are frequently done it is very important to
black as well as the white area. ensure that the drawdown charts below the paint film are
highly consistent in color and gloss. The use of byko-charts
When using the spectro2guide the opacity value is automatically drawdown charts guarantees tightest tolerances and prevent
calculated and displayed on the instrument. Dependent on the erroneous paint batch rejections.
results, the coating systems are ranked in four different classes.

References
Classes Opacity Judgment
ISO/DIS 18314-2 Analytical Colorimetry: Saunderson
Class 1 ≥ 99.5 Excellent hiding correction, Tinting Strength, Hiding
Class 2 ≥ 98.0 % and < 99.5 % Good hiding Power
Class 3 ≥ 95.0 % and < 98.0 %
ISO 6504 Determination of Hiding Power
Class 5 < 95.0 %

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21
 Colorant Compatibility
A colorant sometimes fails to disperse completely in a base
paint due to poor compatibility, which can be the fault of
the colorant, the paint, or both. This will result in poor color
development and can be mainly noticed when high shear
forces are applied e.g. application by paintbrush. If there is the
tendency for a dark colorant to agglomerate (flocculate) in a
paint system, the higher shear application forces the pigments
to de-agglomerate resulting in a darker appearance of the color.

A quick test is the so called “rub-up” test. A drawdown with

uniform thickness is made on a test-chart. After allowing the
paint to dry for a certain time a gentle rubbing action with the
Touch up properties
finger applies stress to one area of the coating. This tends to
Touch up is the ability of paint to maintain its original
disperse the colorants and produces a color difference between
appearance when a small area is re-painted with the same paint
the un-sheared and sheared areas of the paint film.
after the original coat has dried. Small imperfections are often
found during inspection of a newly painted wall and it is much
The difference can be measured with the spectro2guide using the
less costly if these areas can be touched up instead of having to
total color difference value dE*: The smaller the dE* value the
repaint the entire surface. ASTM D3928 Standard Test Method
better the color development and vice versa.
describes a visual assessment rating for touch up properties.
Excellent rating means that there is no noticeable variation in
gloss between the touched up and non-touched up area on the
panel. A rating of very poor represents a great variation.

Rating ASTM D3928 Score

Excellent 10
Very good 8
Good 6
Fair 4
Poor 2
In the above picture a paint system was dispersed from 10 to Very poor 0
120 minutes. The dE* between before and after rub-up is pretty
large which means that the pigments tend to flocculate. The
use of an additive can improve the stability of the paint system. The micro-gloss offers an objective way to measure matte to
ASTM D5326 describes a more sophisticated procedure with semi-gloss architectural coatings by using the 85° and 60°
better reproducibility than the finger rub-out. gloss geometry. The gloss meter can therefore give a clear
differentiation between the touched up and non-touched
up areas and helps the paint manufacturer to optimize paint
properties.
BYK-Gardner Solution

Color & Gloss Objective Visual Evaluation

spectro2guide byko-spectra pro

22
 ARCHITECTURAL COATINGS
Weather Stability
Accelerated weathering
Regardless of any environmental influences, color and gloss of
6 100
interior and exterior walls should remain the same. Weathering
studies are routine performance tests to determine durability 5
80
of paint under extreme weather conditions. The tests are either
4

Gloss values
Color values
carried out outside under natural conditions or in the laboratory 60
using accelerated weathering tests. External influences (e.g. solar 3
40
radiation, moisture, oxygen, and heat) can cause degradation of 2
the colorant and resin. This might lead to changes in color, loss of 20
1
gloss, embrittlement, flaking, chalking, etc…
0 0
1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks
Changes in color and gloss are determined by regularly
dL* 0.55 1.65 3.94
comparing the weathered samples to the original standard. db* 0.58 1.08 3.34
The total color difference dE* is usually recorded. Acceptable dE* 0.85 2.13 5.23
60° Gloss 92 69 41
changes depend greatly on the hue. Brilliant colors tolerate
greater deviations than dark and achromatic colors. In order
to obtain additional information about the yellowing, often The above graph shows the results of an extreme accelerated
the db* is documented. The b* value represents the yellow/ weathering test of a blue architectural coating without UV
blue amount, i.e. the greater the deviation on the b* value, the stabilizer. It is obvious that the 60° gloss value rapidly decreases
more the paint yellowed. UV light absorption can also cause and the color deviations dE*, dL*, and db* increase extremely.
degradation of the bonds of certain polymers used in the paint
resulting in a loss of gloss.

spectro2guide is able to measure both color and gloss on the

same spot in accordance with international standards.

Gloss Professional documentation

micro-gloss smart-lab Gloss

23
 Architectural Coatings – Color sells
“My home is my castle!” This statement makes it very clear that
delivering the color the customer wants to decorate his room is
critical. And this is why paint manufacturers spend so much money
on color chips, color chip racks and brochures to suggest colors and
color schemes. In today’s marketplace just about anything can be
personalized; having personalized color choices is certainly essential
to be successful.

Color matching at the point of sale is challenging for retailers the hope is that the color is close enough to one of the colors in
and paint manufacturers alike. It is necessary to be able to the selection. The spectro2guide can store up-to 5000 standard
match a given color for the customer in a fast and efficient colors and quickly displays the closest match including total color
manner at no extra cost. difference value ΔE*. Additionally, all features of a complete color
QC instrument are available e.g. commonly used color scales and
If it is done manually by eye, it is very difficult to get the same illuminants, metamerism and Pass/Fail.
color the second time. If more paint is needed or the same color is
required for a different project, chances are high that there will be Look-up software
a color mismatch generating additional costs. The fact remains that more than 2000 colors to choose from
are needed to achieve a satisfying match. Therefore, more
In order to improve quality and reduce costs, color matching advanced lookup systems are available. These systems combine
systems are available using a spectrophotometer which measures a spectrophotometer and a database that is typically populated
the required color and communicates with software that gives with thousands of colors and known formulas. The instrument
the best formula. A store associate then uses a dispenser to add measures the target color. By comparing the spectral reflectance
the colorant to a base paint, shakes it thoroughly, and the paint of the target and that of the stored colors, the software
is ready to go. The whole process takes just a few minutes and is retrieves the closest match. A large amount of known formulas
highly repeatable. BYK offers a variaty of solutions from basic color are needed and care has to be taken to constantly update the
selection tools to full color formulation. database. For architectural coatings, formulas for each base and
sheen combination are needed creating an additional challenge.
Color selection tools
These are “electronic fan decks” that use a spectrophotometer Complete color matching system
which has a color palette programmed into the memory. The The most complete solution is a color matching system that
target color, whether that is a color chip or piece of fabric, is consists of a spectrophotometer to measure color and a
measured and the closest match is displayed. Since these tools are formulation software that calculates the amount of each
tied to a given palette or fan deck, existing of 1000 – 2000 colors, colorant needed to match that color. The colorants are then

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Benchtop Color Portable Color

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24
 IN-STORE COLOR MATCHING
dispensed into a can of white or un-tinted paint base. Multiple
bases for each paint line are used because the deeper and
darker colors require less TiO2 in the base. Additionally, each
paint line can have multiple sheen or gloss levels. All of these
variables are characterized and programmed into the software
by making letdowns of each base, of each product line, with
various concentrations of each colorant for each gloss level. The
preparation and maintenance of the colorant data is vital to the
success of the complete system. It is recommended to apply
the letdowns to opacity drawdown charts, like the byko-charts,
using an automatic film applicator to ensure a smooth and
homogeneous surface.

BYK-Gardner’s in-store color matching software starts every color

match by comparing the spectral curve of the target color to all the
spectral curves of known formulas that are stored in the database.
If it finds a good match, it uses the same set of colorants to make There is more than just getting a good color match:
the target color. This is a useful way to reduce metamerism, • Some colorants resist fade better than others
because all similar colors will use the same colorant set. • Some colorants resist chemicals better than others
• Some colorants should not be used in combination with others
If there is no color in the database that is close enough to the • Some colorants are less expensive than others
target color, the software will perform correction steps or if needed
will start a completely new match. The in-store color matching The software can be operated with the auto-match sensor,
software does not randomly selects colorants, but has some a small and rugged benchtop instrument for usage at the
optional rules that can be implemented for the various colorants point of sale. Delivering the color the customer wants, is just a
and colorant combinations. measurement away!

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25
 Industrial Coatings – A fascinating
decoration
Patchwork might be good for quilts but certainly not for coated industrial
goods. As many finished products consist of multiple components which
are manufactured by different suppliers and at different locations,
uniformity of color and appearance is crucial. Not only the paint batches
need to be delivered with consistent quality, but also the production
process of the finished product needs to be controlled.

According to Wikipedia the oldest transmitted paint formulation The diagram shows the CIELab color
dates back to the 12th century. Since then a lot has changed. space divided into a multiple number
Industrial coatings with lower solvent content were introduced of ellipsoidal micro-spaces. All colors
resulting in water based systems with almost no solvent. within one ellipse are perceived as
Increasing environmental demands during the last years and the same color. It can clearly be
requirements for low VOC (volatile organic compounds) systems noticed that the size and shape of
open the doors for powder coatings with 100 % solids content. the ellipses are different dependent
Independent of the material, the optical properties of industrial on the hue. Additional, chromatic
coatings need to fulfill certain quality aspects before they can be colors have larger ellipses than achromatic
applied on the final product. colors and a difference in hue is more obvious than a difference
in chroma.
Color and Gloss harmony
Color consistency from batch to batch is of course a “must” Therefore, tolerances need to be defined by color families and
requirement for an industrial coating. The “correct” color has to differently for the individual color components (ΔL*a*b*C*H*).
be ensured across different material types and gloss levels. Color Over the years, new color systems and equations for solid colors
tolerances are dependent on the application and the hue. were developed based on visual studies: e.g. ΔECMC– ΔE94 –
Studies have proven that CIELab color space is not uniform. ΔE99 – ΔE2000. They correct for the non-uniformity of CIELab
color space and improve visual correlation. Additionally, the
major advantage of these equations is that one tolerance can be
used for all colors.

spectro2guide includes all new equations and even

simultaneously measures 60° gloss to ensure complete
appearance harmony.

BYK-Gardner Solution

Color & Gloss Objective Visual Evaluation

spectro2guide byko-spectra pro

26
 INDUSTRIAL COATINGS
Color consistency under different illuminants Instrumental test of metamerism
As multi-component products are utilized under different lighting The reason for metameric paint batches is that the pigments or
conditions, color consistency needs to be checked under multiple colorants used in the formulation are different. This can occur
light sources as well. Otherwise parts painted with different when e.g. raw materials are no longer available because of
batches have the potential risk to appear the same under daylight environmental issues or more cost efficient solutions require
but show an apparent mismatch under indoor room lighting. This raw material changes. In any case, the spectral curves of the
phenomenon is known as metamerism. metameric pair are different. Typically the curves cross each
other at least three times.
Visual test of metamerism
In a light booth standard and sample are viewed at the However L*a*b* values calculated for one illuminant are the
reference light source – most of the time D65. Then the light same for both specimen, but are different for a second and third
source is changed to at least one test light source which illuminant. The graph below shows measurements taken with the
is significantly different from the reference light source. A spectro2guide. The red line represents a metameric sample: the
common practice is to visually evaluate the sample pair under Δa* and Δb* values are significantly different for illuminant D65, A
illuminant A and a fluorescent light source representing TL84 and F11 (TL84). In comparison the sample charted in blue matches
or CWF. This can be easily done using the byko-spectra lighting very similar for all three illuminants. Therefore, it is not metameric.
cabinet. The light booth supports commonly defined standard
illuminants and an automatic sequencing of different light
sources for standard testing procedures can be programmed.

+db* +dL* D65/ A/ F11/

10° 10° 10°
D65 Daylight % Reflectance 12,00

Match 10,00

8,00

6,00

-da* +da* 4,00

2,00

0,00

A Tungsten -2,00

-4,00
Mismatch -dL*
-db*

Metamerism Index
MI < 1
Color differences are charted for three illuminants
D65/10° A/10°  F11/10°

Gloss Professional documentation

micro-gloss smart-lab Color

27
 Determination of tinting strength
As tinting strength is directly influenced by the pigment type relative to the standard and automatically displayed by the
and concentration used in the coating system, it is an important spectro2guide. If the batch has a tinting strength < 100 %,
economic factor when selecting one paint over the other. it means that it is weaker and more colorant is needed to
Differences in tinting strength result from batch-to-batch achieve the required color shade. As differences in gloss can be
variations during colorant manufacturing and are therefore mistaken for a weaker or stronger tinting strength, care has
a crucial test for incoming QC at a paint maker. If the tinting to be taken to keep surface properties of standard and batch
strength of the colorant is not within the specified limits, the alike.
paint formula needs to be adjusted to achieve the required color
shade. Tinting strength can be influenced by using an optimized
wetting/dispersing additive at an optimized dispersing time.

Tinting Strength is the ability of a colorant or pigment to alter

the color of a paint film. It is determined at the wavelength
of maximum absorption using the absorption and scattering
coefficients K/S of standard and batch. Tinting Strength is
expressed in %.

BatchK/S(nmmax)
Strength (%) = x 100 (%)
StandardK/S(nmmax)

Tinting strength of a colorant is always determined relative The picture above shows the test results for a carbon black
to a standard or reference paint of the same chemical type. concentrate. By increasing the dispersion time from 20 to 30
The procedure is based on the dilution with a defined white minutes, the tinting strength is increased by 20 %.
paint. Drawdowns are then made on opacity charts at
complete hiding i.e. minimum 98 % opacity. In order to create
a uniform drawdown the use of an automatic film applicator References
is highly recommended. The drawdowns are measured with a
spectrophotometer. Readings can be taken using an instrument ISO/DIS 18314-2 Analytical Colorimetry: Saunderson
with d/8 specular including or excluding or 45/0 measuring correction, Tinting Strength, Hiding
geometry. The standard is assigned with a tinting strength Power
of 100 %. The tinting strength of the batch is determined
DIN 6172 Special Metamerism Index: Change in
Illuminant

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28
 INDUSTRIAL COATINGS
Color control of effect finishes
Special effect coatings play a dominant role in many The BYK-mac i measures these two attributes as sparkle and
applications as they make an object distinctively appealing: graininess. The graph below displays the measurement data of
washing machines are no longer necessarily white, building the new batch. Both values are well within tolerance.
facades shine in all kinds of metallic colors, and even mechanical
15° 20 + dS_i dG
engineering adopts the “noble” look of effect finishes. dS
2,0 15 1,0

10
Metallic finishes show a lightness change with changing viewing 1,5 0,5
5
angle. This effect is also referred to as “light-dark flop” and is e.g.
- dS_a + dS_a
an important quality criterion for architectural panels. The panels 1,0
-20 -15 -10 -5
0
0 5 10 15 20
0,0

are either powder coated or coil coated. A reliable incoming -5

0,5 -0,5
QC procedure has to be defined so that panels with a different -10

lightness flop are not assembled at the same building. Such 0,0
-15
-1,0
a “mismatch” will become very obvious when viewed from a dS -20 - dS_i dG

distance.
For small parts, the BYK-mac i is also available with 12 mm
3,5 Tol+
aperture. To ensure repeatable sample placement and reliable
2,2 Tol -
0,9 15
measurement results, the use of a special sample holder is
dL´

0,4 25 highly recommended. The holder is equipped with a mask to fit

-1,7 45 the aperture of the BYK-mac i 12 mm as well as, a tilting handle
-3 75
New Batch to fix the instrument. Application specific presentation tools are
110
included.
The above graph shows measurement data taken with the
BYK-mac i multi-angle spectrophotometer. A new coil coating
batch is compared to the defined standard. ΔL* changes from
a negative value (= darker) at the near specular angle 15° to a
positive value (= lighter) at the flop angle 75°. As both values
are out of tolerance, the two panels will look differently when
being assembled side by side.

Metallic finishes also change their appearance with lighting

conditions. They start to “sparkle” when being viewed under
direct sunlight, whereas under diffused lighting conditions a
more or less distinct grainy pattern becomes visible.

Color & Gloss Multi-angle Color & Effect Sample Holder

spectro2guide BYK-mac i BYK-mac i 12 mm

29
 LW data dependent on film thickness
70
60
50
40

LW
Optimization of flow & levelling properties 30
20
The appearance of a coated surface is not only influenced 10
by color, but also by gloss and flow & levelling attributes. 0
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Eye catching finishes should look like a mirror – “high gloss Film Thickness μ
Standard Additive BYK-3902 P
and perfectly smooth”. Powder coatings are highly durable
and resistant finishes. As the name already implies they are
in powder form and do not use a solvent. They are typically
SW data dependent on film thickness
applied electrostatically before being cured under high
70
temperatures. 60
50
40
Powder coatings typically have a wavy appearance. To achieve
SW

30
an attractive smooth look, levelling additives are used to reduce 20
10
differences in surface tension, consequently, avoiding craters 0
and improving orange peel. These additives are very often 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Film Thickness μ
polyacrylate based and only needed in small amounts in the Standard Additive BYK-3902 P
formulation. The graphs on the right show how the additive
BYK-3902 P clearly decreases LW and SW values in a polyester/
Measurements were taken with the wave-scan instrument
epoxy powder coating system. BYK-3902 P is particularly
which is rolled across the surface to scan the wavy light /dark
suitable for thin-layer powder coatings that are used to reduce
pattern. The data of the optical profile is divided into different
costs or for applications like racing bikes were the final product
wavelength ranges (0.1 mm to 30 mm) by using mathematical
is weight sensitive. Therefore, compared to a standard flow &
filter functions. Commonly used are SW-data (0.3 – 1.2 mm)
levelling additive the improvement is especially noticeable at
and LW-data (1.2 – 12mm) to describe flow levelling behavior.
lower film thickness of 30 – 45 µm.
For small and curved parts the micro-wave-scan is beneficial.

BYK-Gardner Solution

Orange Peel & DOI Measurement of Small Parts

wave-scan micro-wave-scan

30
 INDUSTRIAL COATINGS
100

80
Temperature control of the production oven
The prerequisite for proper physical and optical properties is a 60

controlled and stable baking process. Temperature as well as

40
baking time determines the cross-linking quality of the paint.
The picture on the right shows how on the one hand hardness 20
and flexibility of the paint film are influenced by the baking
temperature, but on the other hand also the optical properties 0
80 100 120 140 160 180
color and gloss.
°C
Pendelum Hardness Cupping Yellowness Gloss

The oven recorder temp-gard is a valuable tool to routinely

monitor the temperature distribution of the ovens as well as
the object temperature. As the object temperature is highly
influenced by the material, material thickness, and shape of
the product, it is recommended to select the most critical
measurement spots on the object. Additionally, one sensor is
used to monitor air temperature.

The graph below shows temperature measurements of a multi-

component product. Sensor 1 is placed on a part made out of
thinner steel. The high curing index of 244 % clearly determines
that the part is over-cured and most probably will not reach the
product specifications.

Temperature Control Temperature Control Accessories

temp-gard Temperature Probes

31
 Wood Coatings –
Keep the natural
look
Wood is one of the most versatile
raw materials in the world. It
creates a warm and comfortable
atmosphere and is therefore,
often used for furniture and
parquet flooring. A living room
table or a kitchen cabinet plays
an important role in defining a Depending on the exclusivity of the furniture, different “types”
home’s personality. On the one of wood are used. High-end furniture is made out of natural
solid wood or veneer, whereas inexpensive products are made
hand, fresh and exciting looks of plywood. Solid wood is usually covered with a clear or
are demanded by consumers; on tinted stain that is applied in different ways determined by the
geometry of the part. Flat parts like boards and cabinet doors
the other hand, the natural look are coated by rolling or flowing when being processed by a
should still be noticeable. Due flat conveyor line. More complicated shaped parts like chairs
or complete furniture pieces are hung on carriers and sprayed.
to its individual character, the Plywood can either be coated with an opaque solid coating or
measurement of color and gloss laminated with a thin paper film of different design ranging
from solids to wood grain imitations.
on wooden surfaces are of special
challenge. As design decisions are often made at different locations than
manufacturing takes place and parts from different suppliers
worldwide are assembled to the finished product, a reliable color
When being used for furniture, wood coatings have to fulfill and gloss control is crucial. A color instrument using a sphere
two main requirements: they have to guarantee durability (d/8), specular-included geometry is best suited to measure
and resistance against a variety of household chemicals and color variations on wooden surfaces. Depending on the gloss
solvents, but at the same time the product has to look nice level of the sample, either a 60° or 20° gloss measurement is
and esthetically appealing. recommended additionally.

BYK-Gardner Solution

Color & Gloss Objective Visual Evaluation

spectro2guide byko-spectra pro

32
Color measurement

WOOD COATINGS
The first step for a reliable color control system is to ensure Color differences due to process variations
that the defined “look” can be sufficiently reproduced 2
in any manufacturing environment. Therefore, standards
1
with reasonable tolerances have to be established between
0
customer and suppliers. A color spectrophotometer like Upper Panel Door 01 Door 02 Bottom Panel
the spectro2guide can be a valuable tool in the process, 2
because it can save standards together with their tolerances. 0
This eliminates the error that physical wood standards easily
-2 Upper Panel Door 01 Door 02 Bottom Panel
change over time and reduces storage capacity of reference
samples. After this has been done, regular production control ∆E CMC ∆L* ∆C* ∆H*
can be performed on the finished products. As long as the
surface is homogeneous – like with solid colored plywood – color To obtain good correlation between visual assessment and
measurements can be performed easily. The challenge starts instrumental readings, the samples shall be viewed parallel to the
when wooden grain becomes visible. grain.

Laminated plywood Gloss measurement

The imitation wood grain is printed on Dependent on the type of coatings (waxes, oils, varnishes,
a thin paper film, which is then glued shellacs, lacquers, and water-based finishes), different looks can
onto the plywood. The print follows be created from very matte and dull up-to high gloss surfaces.
a certain pattern and therefore, Gloss variations are very obvious on large surfaces like furniture
measurementlocations can be easily panels and parquet flooring. The micro-gloss offers a quick
defined to make sure to always solution for objective quality control. In “continuous mode”
measure on the same spot. Dependent the instrument conveniently scans large areas and checks gloss
on the size of the product an average uniformity. Up-to 99 measurements can be taken at a defined
of 3 to 5 readings is recommended. To interval and as a result the display shows the average value of
improve repeatability and reproducibility, all readings as well as the minimum and maximum value. In the
a template with cut-outs can be created graph below gloss variations of parquet flooring in a living room
to clearly define the measurement spots. are charted. Scratches and wear mark spots result in lower
60° gloss values.
Solid wood or veneer
As every tree is different, also the wood panels processed Gloss variations due to wear and tear
from it are “living materials” that will never look the same. The 80
challenging factor is the irregular pattern of the grain which still 60
60° Gloss

can be seen through the transparent or semi-transparent stain.

40
When doing an evaluation, either visual or instrumental, one has
20
to focus on the “dominant color”. This means that knotholes and
the surrounding areas as well as extremely light or dark areas 0
10 20 30 40
should be excluded. The remaining area is then measured by Number of readings
taking an average of 6 to 9 readings. Color differences of light
colors that can still be accepted are in the range of +/- 1 ΔL*a*b* On smaller samples it is sufficient to calculate an average gloss
and for dark colors in the range of +/- 1.5 ΔL*a*b*. value of 3 to 5 readings. As wooden surfaces have a certain
preferred direction based on the grain and fiber orientation it
Process variations measured with the spectro2guide can be is very important to define the measurement direction of the
analyzed in trend graphs. The following graphs show data for a glossmeter. A common way is to take readings in the fiber
chromatic wood stain being applied on different furniture panels. direction where the wooden structure is visible.

Gloss
Professional documentation
micro-gloss
smart-lab Gloss

33
BYK-Gardner Solutions for Coatings
BYK-Gardner Objective Eyes

BYK-mac i
Multi-angle Color and Effect Control.
Cat. No. 7030 BYK-mac i 23 mm | Cat. No. 7034 BYK-mac i 12 mm

smart-lab Color
Online Measurement. Instant Data Analysis.
Cat. No. 4862

BYK-Gardner In-Store Color Matching

auto-match Software
User Friendly. Excellent Matching Performance.
Cat. No. 1001

auto-match Sensor
Rugged Design. Reliable Measurements.
Cat. No. 1150 auto-match 115 V | Cat. No. 1155 auto-match 230 V

34
 smart-lab Color
Online measurement. Instant Data Analysis.
Cat. No. 7083

Color
spectro2guide
The revolution in portable color control.
Cat. No. 7070 spectro2guide d/8 | Cat. No. 7075 spectro2guide 45/0

BYK-Gardner Light Booth

byko-spectra effect
Visual Evaluation of Effect Finishes.
Cat. No. 6027
byko-spectra pro
Light booth for standardized visual color appraisal.
Cat. No. 6072 byko-spectra pro 115 V I Cat. No. 6073 byko-spectra pro 230 V

For a live demo please view our videos on www.byk.com

35
BYK-Gardner Solutions for Coatings
BYK-Gardner Objective Eyes

haze-gloss
The Reference Instrument. Gloss. Haze. Mirror Reflection.
Cat. No. 4601

micro-gloss
The new intelligence in Gloss Measurement.
Cat. No. 4563 micro-TRI-gloss

smart-lab Gloss
Professional Documentation
Kat. Nr. 4866

36
 Appearance
wave-scan
Orange Peel and DOI Measurement.
Cat. No. 4840 wave-scan dual

smart-process
Structure Spectrum for Optimization.
Cat. No. 4831

High Mottling High Mottling and

Striping
5
4
M 15°

3
Mottling and Striping Obvious Striping
2
OK
1
0
-2 -1 0 1 2
Striping 15°
Striping 15°
-2 -1 0 1 2
0
1
OK
2
Mottling and Striping: Obvious Striping
°51 M

3
cloud-runner 4
5
Objective Mottling Analysis with smart-process. High Mottling
Striping
High Mottling and
Cat. No. 6350

For a live demo please view our videos on www.byk.com

37
BYK-Gardner Solutions for Coatings
Liquid Coating Testing

Density Viscometer Flow and Dip Cups

Conductivity Fineness of Grind Wet Film Thickness

Automatic Film Drawdown Test Charts Applicators

Applicator

BYK-Gardner Oven Temperature Recorder

temp-gard
Curing Process under Control.
Cat. No. 3319 temp-gard pro I Cat. No. 3341 temp-gard basic

38
 Physical Properties
Dry Coating Testing

Abrasion Tester Film Thickness

Pendulum Hardness Buchholz Indentation Cross-Cut Adhesion

Cupping Tester Flexibility Tester Impact Tester

For a live demo please view our videos on www.byk.com

39
BYK-Gardner GmbH
Lausitzer Straße 8
82538 Geretsried
Germany
Tel. 0-800-gardner
(0-800-4273637)
+49-8171-3493-0

225 023 653 E 1801

Fax +49-8171-3493-140

BYK-Gardner USA
9104 Guilford Road
Columbia, MD 21046
USA
Phone 800-343-7721
301-483-6500
Fax 800-394-8215
301-483-6555

BYK-Gardner Shanghai Office

6A, Building A
Yuehong Plaza
No. 88 Hongcao Road
Xuhui District
Shanghai 200233
P.R. China
Phone +86-21-3367-6331
Fax +86-21-3367-6332

For more information please visit  www.byk.com