Interference colors of oxidized titanium metal surfaces

The range of interference colors that become apparent when thin layers of titanium oxide are electrolytically produced on the surface of the metal are described in terms of simple visual assessments, Munsell designations, and CIELAB color space values. the observed colors change to some extent with the angle of illumination and viewing. the form of the visible reflectance spectra of the surfaces also depends on the optical configuration of the spectrophotometer. Measurements made with an integrating sphere with a 0°/8° geometry provide CIELAB values that are more representative of the appearance of the colors than the values calculated from spectra obtained by 0°/45° diffuse reflectance.