Request for analysis: A company was experiencing paint defects in their blue basecoat. The defects appeared as round dark blue spots within the blue basecoat paint. Objectives: Methodology: The defects were cross-sectioned and thin slices removed from the defect area. The defects were then examined using optical microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Results of the study: An optical microscope image presented in Figure 1 shows that the defect is spherical.
