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Recently, the research achievement titled “Analysis of the Color-Changing Performance of Adaptive Thermochromic Coatings and Its Influencing Factors”, jointly completed by the Army Artillery and Air Defense Academy together with Fudan University, PLA Unit 32139, and other institutions, was officially published in the journal Coatings and Protection (Issue No. 10, 2025). In this study, CHNSpec precision Spectrophotometer served as the core testing equipment, providing accurate data support throughout the entire process of coating color-change performance testing, and helping the research team achieve key breakthroughs in the field of dynamic camouflage technology.
Urgent Demand for Dynamic Camouflage, Color Detection Becomes the Technical Core
Traditional military camouflage equipment mostly adopts static technologies. Once the camouflage color is fixed, it cannot be adjusted. When facing seasonal changes or environmental variations, manual replacement is required, and improper timing can easily lead to exposure of military targets. Adaptive thermochromic coatings, as a core technological pathway for dynamic camouflage, can automatically adjust color according to environmental changes such as temperature and illumination, achieving real-time integration with the background. However, issues such as color-change stability, weather resistance, and aging have long been key bottlenecks in engineering applications.
Precise quantitative detection of color parameters is the core step to solving this problem. The research team needed to accurately measure changes in brightness and chromaticity of the coatings under different conditions and analyze the evolution of color difference in order to clarify the influence mechanisms of key factors such as resin type, coating thickness, and light source wavelength. With its high resolution and high stability detection advantages, CHNSpec precision Spectrophotometer became the designated color detection equipment for this study.
Precise Quantification + Full-Process Support, CHNSpec Instruments Solve Detection Challenges
During several months of experimental research, CHNSpec precision Spectrophotometer undertook multi-dimensional color detection tasks: by measuring the colorimetric parameters (L, a, b values) before and after coating color change, accurately calculating the total color difference ΔE, and providing quantitative evidence for the selection of different film-forming resins and the optimization of the ratio between thermochromic microcapsules and resins; during accelerated experiments such as temperature cycling and photoaging, regularly recording coating color change data to intuitively present the influence patterns of temperature ranges (-30°C to 60°C), different wavelengths (254 nm, 302 nm, 365 nm, 395 nm), and light sources (xenon lamps) on color-changing performance.
In response to the special detection requirements of thermochromic coatings, CHNSpec Spectrophotometer, with their precise chromaticity measurement capability, successfully captured the key characteristic of **blue-green phase coloration exhibited by a 70 μm coating due to optical interference effects, and clearly quantified the significant destructive effect of the 254 nm ultraviolet band on coating aging, providing reliable data support for subsequent anti-aging strategy formulation. Experimental data showed that formulations optimized based on the detection results of this instrument achieved more than 500 reversible color-change cycles, maintaining excellent stability in environments ranging from -20°C to 40°C.
Technological Breakthroughs Empower Practical Applications, Industry–Academia–Research Collaboration Shows Results
Relying on the precise detection data provided by CHNSpec Spectrophotometer, the research team ultimately identified waterborne polyurethane and polyvinyl alcohol as the **film-forming resin system, determined 70 μm as the **coating thickness, and innovatively proposed an anti-aging strategy of “constructing a UV absorber protective layer on the coating surface.” Compared with the traditional approach of adding absorbers directly into the system, this solution significantly improved anti-aging performance, providing important technical references for formulation optimization and weather resistance design of color-changing coatings.
This research achievement not only fills the gap in studies on the aging mechanisms of color-changing camouflage coatings, but also lays the foundation for the engineering application of dynamic camouflage technology in China. As a leading domestic provider of color detection solutions, CHNSpec, with its precision Spectrophotometer featuring stable performance and accurate measurement results, has been widely applied in high-end research fields such as military industry, coatings, and new materials, continuously providing reliable detection support for key technological innovations in China.
In the future, CHNSpec will continue to deepen its research and development in color detection technologies, launching more high-precision detection equipment suitable for special scenarios and extreme environments, promoting industry–academia–research collaborative innovation, and injecting greater precision-driven momentum into technological breakthroughs in national defense science and technology, new materials, and related fields.
(The full journal article can be accessed via https://www.cnki.net by searching the article title “Analysis of the Color-Changing Performance of Adaptive Thermochromic Coatings and Its Influencing Factors”.)
