haze

There are two different types of haze that can occur in materials: Reflection haze occurs when light is reflected from a material. Transmission haze occurs when light passes through a material. The measurement and control of both types during manufacture is essential to ensure optimum quality, acceptability and suitability for purpose of the product. For instance, in automotive manufacturing, a high quality reflective appearance is desirable with low reflection haze and high contrast whilst in packaging clear, low haze, highly transmissive films are required so that the contents, foods etc., can be clearly observed. Reflection Haze Reflection Haze is an optical phenomenon usually associated with high gloss surfaces, it is a common surface problem that can affect appearance quality. The reflection from an ideal high gloss surface should be clear and radiant, however, due to scattering at imperfections in the surface caused by microscopic structures or textures (≈ 0.01 mm wavelength) the reflection can appear milky or hazy reducing the quality of its overall visual appearance. Causes of this could be due to a number of factors – Poor dispersion Method of applying the coating Variations in drying, curing or baking Types of materials used in the formulation Polishing or abrasion