Portable reflectometers for solar reflectance and emittance measurements

SOC410 Series Reflectometers are portable measurement tools for rapid solar reflectance, absorptance, and thermal emittance characterization. Designed for quality control and research and development applications, the SOC410 Series Reflectometers produce precision measurements with excellent agreement to complex benchtop instrumentation in an easy-to-use handheld package. A touchscreen interface provides guided calibration, sample identification, and measurement data display.

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True Portability

Battery powered cordless design

ASTM Compliant

Compliant with ASTM standards for reflectance and emittance measurements

Easy to use

Simply press against sample and pull trigger

Fast data collection

Measurements in 10 seconds or less

Immediate Data

Touch screen display for data review and management

Easy Calibration

One minute calibration at start of measurement session

410 Reflectometer Applications

Reflectance and emittance measurements for the following applications

Radiative heat transfer

Semiconductor fabrication

Concentrated solar power

Thermal camera calibration

Aerospace coatings

Cool roofing and building

Observatory telescope mirror evaluation

LIDAR target verification

Wafer fab hardware emissivity

IR signature management

Low observable coatings

Electroplated material analysis

CONFIGURATION OPTIONS

Handheld, Desktop, or Automated Positioning

Multiple configuration options provide field portability, desktop convenience, or integration with robotic arms.

Available Models

410-Vis-IR

Solar reflectance and thermal emittance measurements with one control unit.

410-Solar

Specular, diffuse and total reflectance 335 – 2500 nm. ASTM E408 and C1549 compliant.

410-Solar-i

Total solar reflectance 335 nm – 2500 nm. ASTM E408 and C1549 compliant.

ET100

Thermal emissivity 1.5 – 21 μm. ASTM E408 compliant.

410-DHR

Reflectance and in-band emittance .9 to 12 μm.

ET10

Emissivity 3-5 and 8-12 microns.

410-LIDAR

Total reflectance at 850, 905, 940, and 1550 nm.

Calibration coupons used with 410 Series reflectometers, inside surface and outside reflectance values

Accessories & Maintenance Services

Calibration coupons and servicing.

Custom Reflectometer

Custom wavebands for your specific application.

Can I rent a 410 Series Reflectometer? Do you provide measurement services?

Yes, we rent to customers in the United States and internationally in countries with a Surface Optics distributor. Our measurements lab provides reflectance and emittance measurement services, including SRI and TSR reporting.

Do I need to make contact with the sample to perform a measurement?

The SOC410 Series reflectometers are designed to be used as a contact measurement device. The integrating sphere port is pressed directly against the surface being measured. Customers looking for a non-contact measurement may still acquire useful data but should expect decreased accuracy from the provided specifications. Contact our team for more information on how this will affect system performance.

What is the minimum sample size / sampling port size?

The sample port is 1.32 cm (0.52 inches) and should be completely covered for the best performance from the system.

What is the difference between the 410-Solar and 410-Solar-i?

There are two 410-Solar models, the 410-Solar provides total, specular and diffuse reflectance. The 410-Solar-i has a larger beam size which increases accuracy for non-uniform surfaces. It has a lower price point, faster measurements, and only requires calibration with one coupon but is limited to providing total solar reflectance without breaking down the specular and diffuse percentage.

What is the maximum temperature a sample can be without damaging the reflectometer?

The samples should not exceed 100 C. The ET100 can calculate high temperature emittance from room temperature measurements.

Which 410 model takes Total Solar reflectance (TSR) / Solar Reflectance (SR) / Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) measurements?

The 410-Solar-I measures solar reflectance, also called total solar reflectance (TSR). The ET100 measures thermal emittance, both solar reflectance and thermal emittance are necessary to calculate the SRI of a material. The 410-VIS-IR package includes the 410-Solar-i measurement head, the ET100 measurement head, and a single command module that operates both measurement heads. The 410-VIS-IR will measure SRI.

What Is the accuracy and noise floor of the 410 Series measurement, i.e. minimum measurable reflectance?

The reflectance accuracy to ± 0.02-0.03 reflectance units depending on the model. The noise floor varies depending on the sample material. If you are measuring a specular surface, like a mirror, then the standard deviation between measurements will be extremely low, on the order of 0.001 reflectance units (where 1.0 is 100% reflective). For a diffuse sample, like a matte paint, the standard deviation might be closer to 0.005.

What is the difference in the emissivity measurements provided by the 410-DHR, ET10 and ET100?

All three models measure directional hemispherical reflectance (DHR). The 410-DHR and ET10 provide in-band emittance for their spectral bands (calculation of one minus reflectance, or E = 1 – DHR). The ET100 uses the DHR to provide directional emittance at 20 degrees, directional emittance at 60 degrees, and total hemispherical emittance.

Can the 410 reflectometers measure curved surfaces?

The 410 Series reflectometers can readily collect the reflectance of samples with a radius of curvature of 6 inches for convex surfaces and 12 inches for concave surfaces. Beyond that, you will observe increasing uncertainty in the measurement. If you have materials that are more curved than the provided specifications, the best way to understand the system is to fabricate a few control samples that only differ in the sample geometry (i.e. flat and curved samples) to see if they yield the same reflectance values, and develop a calibration/correction curve if necessary.

What is the difference between NIST and Non-NIST Calibration Coupons?

The NIST traceable coupon is an optional upgrade. NIST traceable coupons are individually measured against a NIST standard. For the Non-NIST coupons, we use several candidates from each manufacturing run and measure these to produce a batch average, which we use for all coupons in that manufacturing run.

Can you recalibrate my SOC410 calibration coupon(s)? How often should I replace calibration coupons/standards?

If the system and calibration standards are handled with care and kept clean of any contaminants, recalibration (or replacement of the calibration standards) is recommended after one year of use or 2000 uses, at the discretion of the user.

Do the 410 Series reflectometers require annual servicing or calibration?

No, but we recommend an annual service and calibration coupon replacement to maintain high accuracy measurements.

Where can I get a copy of the user manual?

Email contact@surfaceoptics.com with the model and/or serial number and we will send you the correct user manual for your device.

What is the time for the source/lamps to warm up?

The warm up time is about 10 seconds.

Can the spectral bands be changed?

Yes, we can design a measurement head with custom spectral bands by modifying the filters and/or detectors. Once the measurement head is manufactured the spectral bands cannot be changed.

We would like to compare the data from a 410 Series reflectometer to another instrument that measures at a different incident angle(s) is this possible?

Reflectance values measured at incidence angles 8, 12, and 20 degrees from normal should be very similar for most materials. In fact, up to 20 degrees is the industry standard for “near-normal” measurements. Reflectance values for some structured surfaces might differ.

How is data stored / how do I open 410 data files?

The measured data is stored externally on a removable SD card. The instrument itself retains no memory from run to run. Reflectance data, calculated properties (solar reflectance, thermal emittance), and instrument diagnostics are automatically written to a simple tab delimited text file that can be readily opened in any text processor including Microsoft Excel and MATLAB.

To import the file into Microsoft Excel, open the Excel program and browse to the file location (USB card reading or SD slot). Be sure to search for “All Files” since the data files have an extension of *.ems and *.ebk (emittance and emittance backup).
For the FT5 models, the root directory of the SD card will have 3 folders—‘Data’, ‘Program’, and ‘Startup’. The Raspberry Pi model will have folders named after the measurement heads that have been paired with the command module (e.g. ‘410-Solar_TCA0039-01’). Within each of those folders, you will find 2 subfolders—‘Data’ and ‘Startup’.

For both models, the data files are stored within the ‘Data’ folder. When you open a data file, the ‘Text Import Wizard’ will automatically load the file. In Step 1, select an ‘Original Data Type’ of ‘Delimited’. In Step 2, be sure to select ‘Tab’ from the ‘Delimiters’ widget. After confirming that these two pages are correctly configured, press ‘finish’ to generate an Excel worksheet. You can follow analogous steps to import the tab delimited text file into other programs.

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410 Series Reflectometers