Coating inspection method

• Main Author: Fisk Thomas E
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.05.2017
• Subjects: CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; METALLURGY; PHYSICS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; TESTING

A reflectometry method and other methods for detecting discontinuities in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating are disclosed. The method includes several steps. A thermoplastic vessel wall (710) is provided having an outside surface, an inside surface, and a CVD coating on at least one of the inside and outside surfaces. The vessel wall and the CVD coating have different indices of refraction. Electromagnetic energy (718) is impinged on multiple positions of the CVD coating under conditions effective to cause energy to reflect from the multiple positions of the CVD coating. The reflected energy is analyzed to determine whether the reflected energy includes at least one artifact of a discontinuity in the CVD coating.