Reflectance determination of optical spectral emissivity of metal surfaces at ambient conditions

Abstract

Optical pyrometry requires knowledge of both spectral radiance and spectral emissivity to accurately measure temperature. No reliable compendium of spectral emissivity data currently exists for common metals in the optical and near-infrared spectral regions where pyrometry is typically performed. Here, we measure the spectral reflectivity of numerous common metals, with known surface finishes, between 400 and 1100 nm. The measurements are carried out under ambient conditions, near 300 K at an atmospheric pressure of ∼0.78 bar. We then calculate the emissivity as a function of the wavelength for each sample. We define and use the illumination and collection geometries most practical for applying these measurements to radiometric thermometry. We also examine the effect of surface finish upon the relative spectral emissivity of a given material and find qualitative guidelines for predicting the increase in emissivity with increasing surface roughness. These measurements can both improve the accuracy and precision of optical pyrometry and provide the necessary reference value for converting emerging diagnostic measurements of relative spectral emissivity under extreme dynamic conditions into absolute dynamic spectral emissivity.