Detection of corrosion beneath a paint layer by use of spectral polarization optical imaging

The spectral and polarization properties of scattered light were used to im age corrosion beneath the surface of a painted aluminum plate. The quality of imaging of the corrosion on the metal surface was significantly enhanced by the spectral polarization optical imaging technique. Depolarization sca ttered light was used to detect and image corrosion beneath the paint layer . (C) 2000 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 260.5430, 290.1350, 290.7 050, 110.3080, 120.4630.