Phenomenological BRDF modeling for engineering applications

The application of analytical light scattering techniques for virtual prototyping the optical performance of paint coatings provides an effective tool for optimizing paint design for specific optical requirements. This paper describes the phenomenological basis for the scattering coatings computer aided design (ScatCad) code. The ScatCad code predicts the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and the hemispherical directional reflectance (HDR) of pigmented paint coatings for the purpose of coating design optimization. The code uses techniques for computing the pigment single scattering phase function, multiple scattering radiative transfer, and rough surface scattering to calculate the BRDF and HDR based on the fundamental optical properties of the pigment(s) and binder, pigment number density and size distribution, and surface roughness of the binder-interface and substrate. This is a significant enhancement to the two- flux, Kubelka-Munk analysis that has traditionally been used in the coatings industry. Example calculations and comparison with measurements are also presented.