Automating Complexity

 
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) are powerful techniques for characterization of coatings. Fitting EIS data to an equivalent circuit can provide information like barrier performance (based on coating resistance) and water uptake (based on coating capacitance). FTIR, on the other side, presents a unique chemical fingerprint of the coating that allows to monitor coating integrity. The complexity of EIS and FTIR data interpretation restricts its use to experienced users with advanced knowledge on both techniques fields (electrochemistry and spectroscopy) and coating technology, not always easy to find or train. It is also a waste of skilled personnel time to interpret high number of data produced by current multichannel devices and online monitoring systems. Even though the prices of portable potentiostats and FTIR analyzers had become affordable since the past decade, this knowledge-related restriction presents a real roadblock to upgrade formulation labs and inspection procedures with this technologies.