NIST announces standard reference material (SRM) 2017 for the paint industry. (Standard Reference Materials).

NIST has developed SRM 2017 to aid the many industries dependent on gonioapparent (special visual effect) paints and coatings to improve the appearance of their products. Examples of gonioapparent paints include the pearlescent and metal-flake coating found on automobiles, which change color or brightness with viewing and/or illumination angle. The successful use of these special-effect paints, particularly in automobile manufacturing, requires measurement of the optical reflectance of the coatings as a function of angle to ensure that the paint application is performed correctly, is reproducible between manufacturing plants, is constant over time, and can be replicated during a repair.

SRM 2017 is an opal-glass white reflectance standard that was developed in response to industry demands for multi-angle reflectance standards to calibrate bi-directional spectrometers used to measure the optical properties of gonioapparent paints. The reflectance of the opal-glass sample has been accurately measured for an illumination angle of 45[degrees] and viewing angles of 15[degrees], 25[degrees], 45[degrees], 75[degrees] and 110[degrees] at 10 nm wavelength increments between 360 nm and 780 nm. This standard will help ensure that the measured properties of the special-effect paints are independent of the instrument manufacturer or locale. The standard was produced using the NIST Spectral Tri-function Automated Reference Reflectometer (STARR) facility.

The appeal of these novel paints to consumers ensures that they will attract an increasingly larger fraction of the color pigment market, estimated to be about $3.5 billion in 2005. The value that these coatings add to products is even greater, as yearly there is approximately $700 billion worth of shipped goods for which overall appearance is critical to their sale.

CONTACT: Maria Nadal, [phone]; [e-mail].