Glass, Optics & Coatings | PerkinElmer
PerkinElmer

Glass, Optics & Coatings

Thoroughly investigate and better understand the properties of films and coatings. Our state-of-the-art instruments support numerous techniques and applications widely used in consumer and commercial applications.

  • Measure material stiffness as a function of temperature, humidity, dissolution media, and/or frequency to better evaluate glass transitions, degree of crystallinity, and stiffness behavior.
  • Identify Specular Reflections to understand how light interacts with solids, refractive index, thin films, and interference patterns, multilayer coatings, and polarization.
  • Analyze the physical properties of glass, commonly used for quality control during manufacturing and heat treatment processes.
  • Measure transmittance, diffuse transmittance, and diffuse reflectance to assess visual clarity, polarization, color stability, scratch resistance, impact resistance, and UV protection.

Architectural Glass Analysis

The quality of architectural glass is extremely important. Does it let in the right amount of light and heat? Is it safe and secure? Does it insulate against noise and promote privacy? Does it complement the design of the building? For glass analyzers like you, all these questions can be answered through rigorous testing. A variety of samples and forms can be generated, and the appropriate accessories are required to ensure glass meets QA/QC standards. Conforming to these standards allows you to optimize development and production and troubleshoot during any process, from beginning to end. To determine color, light transmission, absorbance, thermal, and solar properties, glass is tested against ISO9050, CIE, EN410, EN673, Haze, and NFRC standards.

Learn More

Automotive Glass

From windshields to mirrors to electronic screens, glass analysis in the automotive and transportation industry is crucial to ensure safety and security. With so many different types of optical properties that need to be analyzed, it’s important to have flexible, reliable technology for the most accurate results. To analyze a variety of sample types, forms, and sizes, you must use the appropriate accessory that tests to QA/QC standards. Our solutions allow for optimized development and production as well as the ability to troubleshoot at any stage. To determine color, light transmission, absorbance, thermal, and solar properties, glass is tested against ISO13837, CIE, EN410, EN673 standards.

Learn More

Solar Panel & Photovoltaic

With the ever-growing need to source efficient renewable energy, it’s more important than ever to ensure products like solar glass are properly analyzed. Common applications for analyzing its properties include optical components, materials, and color measurements on specular substrates. Samples are typically tested to determine the following:

  • Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and bidirectional transmittance distribution function (BTDF), other scattering measurements on diffusers, patterned and diffused coatings, and materials for straylight suppression
  • Directional transmittance and reflectance properties on thin foils
  • Directional reflectance properties on front surface mirrors
  • Angular color measurements of samples and measurements of optical filters

Learn More

Glass for Efficient Energy Storage

Light-diffusing glass – covered, patterned, textured, and coated – are widely used in solar panels, buildings, and greenhouses. This type of glass captures and traps light better within a structure, ensuring maximum thermal energy efficiency and an optimized distribution of light. The ability to accurately measure the transmission and reflection properties of these materials is a key requirement in the development and manufacturing of high-efficiency solar cells and light-diffusing glazing. To quantify high efficiency, these materials are tested and measured according to NFRC standards.

Learn More

Optics

Measurements of optical components are some of the most challenging types of analytical methods. Optical components are used for a variety of applications: lenses, filters, lasers etc. Optical coatings composed of thin films of dielectric materials have long been commonplace in both the optics and glass industries. In the last two decades, the range of available optical coatings has broadened considerably as new materials have emerged to meet new applications. For the successful study of the properties of optical components and thin film structures the use of non-destructive methods as UV/Vis/NIR or FTIR spectroscopy are preferred.

Learn More

Featured Resources

Material Characterization Analyzers for Building Glass Measurements

Building or Architectural glass products control the amount of light and heat entering a building, offering safety and security, insulation against noise, provi ...

Learn More

Comprehensive and Compliant Solutions for Glass Analysis

It’s clear, glass has a variety of uses, from practical to technological to decorative. In particular, float glass is widely used in architecture, automotive, t ...

Learn More

Green Building Materials Analysis with UV/Vis-NIR and Infrared Analytical Solution

As we are becoming increasingly aware of negative environmental influences, global warming, and sustainable building practices, we are learning that new constru ...

Learn More

Receive Our Bimonthly Industrial Newsletter

Questions? We're here to help.