Orange peel (effect)

Orange peel is a certain kind of finish that may develop on painted and cast surfaces, even screen protectors. The texture resembles the surface of the skin of an orange. Gloss paint sprayed on a smooth surface (such as the body of a car) should also dry into a smooth surface. However, various factors can cause it to dry into a bumpy surface resembling the texture of an orange peel. The orange peel phenomenon can then be smoothed out with ultra-fine sandpaper, but it can be prevented altogether by changing the painting technique or the materials used. Orange peel is typically the result of improper painting technique, and is caused by the quick evaporation of thinner, incorrect spray gun setup (e.g., low air pressure or incorrect nozzle), spraying the paint at an angle other than perpendicular, or applying excessive paint.

In some situations, such as interior house paint, the orange peel texture is desirable. In this case, a texture paint is generally applied with a spray gun. The texture is then painted over with the appropriate color. When painting walls, orange peel can also develop by using a roller with too little paint or too thick a paint and the surface dries before the texture can level.

The instruments used to measure orange peel simulate visual perception. Like our eyes, the instruments optically scan the wavy light/dark pattern. Two types of instruments are available to quantify the texture or waviness of a surface:

Orange peel meter

The orange peel meter uses a laser point light source to illuminate the specimen at a 60° angle and uses a detector to measure the reflected light intensity at the equal but opposite angle. The instrument is rolled across the surface and measures point by point the optical profile of the surface across a defined distance. The instruments analyse the structures according to their size. In order to simulate the human eye's resolution at various distances, the measurement signal is divided into several ranges using mathematical filter functions:

Simplified Measurement Diagram

Structures smaller than 0.1 mm also influence visual perception, therefore the instruments use a CCD camera to measure the diffused light caused by these fine structures. This parameter is referred to as "dullness".

The values of dullness and Wa to We form a "structure spectrum". This allows a detailed analysis of orange peel and its influencing factors, being material or application parameters. Example of a "structure spectrum"

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