Advanced Optical Materials Laboratory
NLR's ISO 9001-certified Advanced Optical Materials Laboratory is a third-party validation and research facility for metrology that supports research and development for the solar, automotive, defense, building, and coating industries.
Capabilities
- ISO 9001 certification
- Optical material characterization across the ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared (IR) spectrum:
- Spectral, hemispherical reflectance, absorptance, and transmittance (λ = 0.2–2.5 μm)
- Spectral, specular reflectance at varying angles of incidence (λ = 0.2–2.5 μm)
- Specularity analysis of mirror materials (λ = 660 nm)
- Spectral, hemispherical, and diffuse IR reflectance and emittance (λ = 2–25 μm).
- Accelerated aging testing with customizable conditions:
- UV exposure with humidity and temperature control (Atlas Ci5000 Weather-Ometer)
- Thermal cycling with humidity
- Damp heat soak
- Neutral salt spray testing
- Abrasion testing (Taber abrader)
- Concentrated UV exposure (realistic solar spectrum using the Ultra Accelerated Weathering System).
Testing Facilities and Laboratories
Optical Measurements Laboratory
Instruments in the Optical Measurements Laboratory measure optical properties and performance of materials used for solar heat in industrial processes and other applications. These measurements help qualify materials in terms of reflectance, transmittance, and absorptance across the solar spectrum and are dependent on the angle of incidence.
Indoor Accelerated Weathering Laboratory
The Indoor Accelerated Weathering Laboratory includes several accelerated weathering chambers that help determine degradation rates and life expectancy of solar mirrors and other specialized materials, including coatings. The equipment provides robust control of degradation factors such as temperature, humidity, freeze/thaw, rain, hail, salt spray, and UV irradiation. Tests are designed to facilitate evaluation of materials for outdoor applications, including solar, automotive, building, and defense sectors. Learn more about the corrosion and materials research conducted in this lab.
Facility and Laboratory Equipment
- PerkinElmer Lambda 1050+ spectrophotometer with integrating sphere accessory
- Accessories by OMT Solutions: Total Absolute Measurement System and VW reflectance set
- Devices and Services 15R–RGB specular reflectometer
- Surface Optics 410 solar reflectometer
- Surface Optics 100 hemispherical directional reflectometer
- Ci5000 Weather-Ometer chambers (five)
- Ci4000 Weather-Ometer chamber
- Tenney humidity/temperature chamber
- Blue M environmental chambers (two)
- Salt spray chamber
- Thermal oven
- Taber abrader
- Outdoor weathering exposure testing racks.
Contact
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Last Updated May 6, 2026