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The article presents a study about the use of use polarized light reflectometry technique in analyzing a wide-scale of coated papers from pulp mills in the U.S. The polarized light reflectometry technique measures roughness and refractive index of the surface which can help in examining the surface porosity properties. The study aims to show how the technique can provide information about surface porosity, composition, and structure. The study reveals that the technique is useful for investigating of the coating structure and explains the source of gloss. However, the technique needs further applications and materials to be studied to examine its consistency.

The article offers information on polarized light reflectometry, which is considered as a non-contact method for obtaining information on paper coating structure, roughness and optical properties. To measure the intensity of light scattered from a paper surface, an imaging detector is used. The light is polarized perpendicularly and horizontally with respect to the surface and at two wavelengths. The refractive index has been derived, microroughness, macroroughness and gloss and reflectance parameters. It was found that the technique uses non-destructive optical analysis to obtain information on the surface structure.

An abstract of the July 2006 peer reviewed paper from "TAPPI Journal" entitled "Polarized Light Reflectometry for Studies of Paper Coating Structure: Part I: Method and Instrumentation," by Nick J. Elton and Janet S. Preston, is presented.