School of Chemistry

Jim Nobbs

Senior Lecturer
Research section: Colour Science

Contact details

Keywords

Colour Physics
Computer aided formulation
Colour appearance modelling
Colour match prediction

Research interests

One of my major research areas is the dependence of the visual appearance of a material on its composition and structure. The types of materials can be opaque or semi-transparent in nature, such as paint surfaces, printed materials, plastic components and plastic films, textile fabrics and yarns, foodstuffs and cosmetics. The research is directed towards the development and use of scientific models for predicting from the composition of a material, the optical properties and appearance properties of the material. An objective is to improve the accuracy of algorithms used by software for the computer aided formulation of a material with a desired set of appearance characteristics. The algorithms have application also within instrumental systems for off-line monitoring and for in-line monitoring of the quality of materials during production.

Modelling requires measurement. Therefore, my other areas of research are methods of characterising the optical properties and the appearance properties of materials. This includes studying the affect that the appearance of objects has on our emotional state, and the relationships between natural (language based) descriptions of appearance and the corresponding instrumental measures.

Two of my additional research areas are the physics and physical chemistry associated with the preparation and application of colorants and coloured materials; together with the accuracy and repeatability of the capture and reproduction of graphic images. I also contribute to the work of Division 1 of the Commission International de l Eclairage (CIE), the organisation responsible for international standards in lighting, aspects of graphic imaging and the specification and measurement of the colour and appearance of objects and materials.