Modern techniques for the evaluation of coating properties

In the last ten years a remarkable improvement in understanding of inner coatings properties has taken place on a broad scale. This is due to a better knowledge of coatings basics, but also due to an improvement in analytical tools to measure and evaluate coatings behaviour under different external conditions. An overview of advanced coatings testing (analytical testing, corrosion protection properties testing, artificial short term climatic tests) is given. Highly sophisticated measurement equipment can nowadays offer detailed insights into the properties and structures of paints and coatings. New test procedures also provide more accurate assessments of long-term coating performance by realistically simulating field conditions. More specific and sensitive equipment is able to detect, e.g., the first stages of degradation. For the future, there is a realistic prospect to reduce testing times and get reliable and valid prognoses about lifetime expectancies involving these new tools.