Determination of the absorption and scattering coefficients of pigments: application to the identification of the components of pigment mixtures.

In most scattering media, the scattering centers have random shapes and sizes, preventing any theoretical approach for the determination of their absorption and scattering coefficients. Three different experimental protocols are here selected and briefly described. The obtained values are compared and then validated from a comparison with the most rigorous method. The Kubelka-Munk method, using a paint layer applied to both white and black backgrounds, is chosen to build a database of these coefficients for reference pigments. Using this database, the identification of the components of a pigment mixture using spectral measurements is realized and validated.