A non-destructive method is provided for measuring a non-scattering
coating on a non-specular or specular surface of a metallic substrate.
The surface may be a rough surface, such as a chemically milled surface.
Infrared energy is transmitted into an integrating sphere that is in
physical contact with a sample of the coating on the metallic substrate.
The infrared energy is partially absorbed by the coating. The infrared
energy is in part specularly reflected by the metallic substrate and is
in part scattered by the metallic substrate depending on the wavelength
of the infrared radiation. The integrating sphere integrates and collects
total reflectance of the infrared energy. Infrared detectors detect the
total reflectance at two wavelength bands. A decrease in total
reflectance in one of the two wavelength bands indicates presence of the
coating or may be mapped to an amount of the coating.