METHODS FOR NONDESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF DEFECTS IN A TRANSPARENT COATING

摘要

A method for nondestructive evaluation of defects in a transparent coating (3) on polymers, comprising applying a sensor layer (2) comprising a fluorophore under the transparent coating (3) and exposing the transparent coating (3) to molecular oxygen, wherein the defects are identified by change in the fluorescence signature of the fluorophore in locations corresponding to the coating defects. The method can be used for nondestructive evaluation of defects in a library of transparent coatings (3) wherein a sensor layer (2) comprising a fluorophore is applied under a grid or an array of transparent coatings (3) and the transparent coatings (3) are exposed to different partial pressures of oxygen, to map and count defect density and to better understand the origins of defects in the coatings on a microscopic scale. Further, the method can be effectively used for a rapid screening of defects in a number of samples in a combinatorial array.