The Kubelka-Munk theory,

applications and modications

Frederic P.-A. Cortat
December 19, 2003
1
Overview
Derivation of K-M equations
Nature of K and S coecients
Applications and problems
Revised K-M theory
Applications and results
2
The Kubelka-Munk theory
3
Reectance of layer on substrate
R
0
and T are reectance and transmittance of
layer. Set reectance of substrate to R
g
.
Upward ux:
J
g
= (I T + J
g
R
0
) R
g
Reectance of layer:
R =
I R
0
+ J
g
T
I
= R
0
+
T
2
R
g
1 R
g
R
0
R
0
is reectance of sample over ideally black
background (R
g
= 0).
4
Reectance of thin layer in medium
Reectance and transmittance of layer are r
0
and t. Therefore absorption is
a = 1 r
0
t
Change in i and j going from the n-th to the
n + 1-th layer
i
n+1
i
n
=
_
1
t
1
_
i
n

r
0
t
j
n
j
n+1
j
n
=
_
t 1
r
2
0
t
_
j
n
+
r
0
t
i
n
Assumption 1: r
0
and t are the same for i and
j ux. Correct angular distribution of
intensities are both equal.
5
Reectance of continuous medium
Assumption 2: sample may be treated as
continuous medium.
Dene scattering coecient S and
absorption coecient K:
S = lim
d0
r
0
d
=
dR
0
dx
K = lim
d0
a
d
=
dT
dx

dR
0
dx
Taking limit d 0 leads to K-M dierential
equations
di
dx
= (K + S) i + S j
dj
dx
= (K + S) j S i
6
Reectance and transmittance values
Reectance of innite thick layer:
R

=
1 + r
2
0
t
2

_
(1 + r
2
0
t
2
)
2
4r
2
0
2r
0
1 +
K
S

_
1 +
K
S
_
2
1
Solving K-M equations gives I and J, and
therefore
R
0
=
sinh(Z)
sinh(Z) + cosh(Z)
T =

sinh(Z) + cosh(Z)
Z =
_
K(K + 2S) X
where := 1 +
K
S
, :=

a
2
1.
R

= =
1
+
7
The K-M coecients K and S
K and S are dened in terms of transmittance
and reectance of thin layer. Separate model
required to relate K and S to fundamental
optical properties of material: absorption ()
and scattering () coecients per unit path
length.
Fractions absorbed and scattered over
innitesimal distance du are du and du.
For incident ray at angle , du = dx/cos().
For diuse light, average path length is integral
over angular distribution [0, 2]:
K = 2
Assume light isotropically scattered. Only half
is scattered in upper half and contribute to
reectance:
S =
8
Applications of the K-M theory
9
Theory at test: predicted values of R

Checking accuracy of K-M theory is dicult

because of restrictions imposed during
derivations.
Test conducted on values of R

: exact
agreement only for R

= 1 or R

= 0. Else
error as large as 8%.
Albedo: a := /( + )
Large discrepancy disappointing and
unexplained.
10
Improving the theory: modify K and S
Idea: separate K and S for forward (K
i
, S
i
)
and reverse (K
j
, S
j
) ux. Multi-ux analysis
shows that angular distribution is indeed not
the same, even for ideal diuse illumination
and isotropic scattering.
Result: coecients can still be combined into a
single pair: K = 2 , S = 0.75 .
Experiments showed that this is correct only
for weakly absorbing samples. For more
absorbing samples, both ratios K/ and S/
depend on and . This is in direct
disagreement with K-M theory.
11
Mathematical treatment of print-through
Print-through conventionally dened by
G = log(R

/R
G
)
where R

is intrinsic reectance of paper and

R
G
is reectance factor of reverse side of print
with opaque pad of paper as background.
Print-through can be divided into components
representing show through if no ink
penetration, contribution of ink penetration,
and eect of oil separation from ink that
reduces opacity of paper.
G = G
L
+ G
P
+ G
S
= log(R

/R
A
) + log(R
A
/R
Q
) + log(R
Q
/R
G
)
R
Q
can be easily measured. What about R
A
?
12
Mathematical treatment of print-through
13
Mathematical treatment of print-through
Idea: R
A
= R
X
, the reectance value of a
single sheet of unprinted paper placed over
printed surface.
R
X
is given by K-M theory:
R =
R
0
+ R
g
R
0
R
g
_
R

+
1
R

_
1 R
0
R
g
R
X
=
R
0
+ R
P
R
0
R
P
_
R

+
1
R

_
1 R
0
R
P
14
Math. treatment of ink penetration
Penetration depth W
p
with respect to paper
grammage.
W
p
W
=
ln(B
0
/B
Z
)
ln(B
0
)
, B
i
:=
1 R
i
R

1 R
i
/R

K-M theory:
2b S W = ln
_
B
B
g
_
, 2b :=
1
R

R
X
for sheet with thickness W against
background R
P
; R
Q
: thickness (W W
P
)
against background R
P
.
2bSW = ln
_
B
X
B
P
_
, 2bS(WW
P
) = ln
_
B
Q
B
P
_
W
p
W
=
ln(B
X
/B
Q
)
ln(B
X
/B
P
)
=
ln(B
0
B
P
/B
Q
)
ln(B
0
)
Conrmed by computer simulations.
15
The revised Kubelka-Munk theory
16
Revised Kubelka-Munk theory
K-M theory successful and widely used in
industry. Nevertheless unable to explain some
ndings modications necessary.
Motivations:
K-M theory best for low absorption. Not
good at high absorption.
Many restrictions/assumptions made
during derivation
K and S coecients have no physical
meaning
17
Light propagation in media
Mean path length free from absorption, resp
scattering: l
a
() :=
1
()
, l
s
() :=
1
()
.
Overall photon path:
l
a
= l =
N

n=1
| r
n
| = N l
s
Mean square scattering distance:

R
2
=
N

m=1
N

n=1
r
m
r
n
=
N

n=1
r
n
2
= N l
2
s
R =
_
|

R|
2
=
_
l
a
l
s
18
Light propagation in media
Ratio between total path length and length of
corresponding displacement:
:=
l
a
R
=
_
l
a
l
s
=
_

1
Including wave length dependence:
=
_
_
_
_
()
()
() ()
1 otherwise
Because light absorption by the media
depends on wavelength, can vary signicantly
(even for constant scattering).
In original K-M theory, scattering induced path
variation was ignored: l
a
= R = 1.
19
Modied K-M equations
Average path length traversed by light going
downward (upward dened similarly):
dl
I
= dz
/2
_
0
1
I
I

d
cos()
=:
I
dz
Diuse light:
I
= 2. Collimated:
I
= 1.
Intensity variation after passing through dz:
( + ) I dl
I
= ( + ) I
I
dz
New dierential equations:
dI
dz
=
I
( + ) I +
J
J
dJ
dz
=
J
( + ) J
I
I
20
New K and S coecients
For
I
=
J
= , new dierential equations
reduce to original K-M equations i
k = , s =

2
For diuse light: k = 2 , s = .
k and s depend on , itself depending on ,
and :
k = =
_

() ()
otherwise
s =

2
=
_
_
_

2
_

() ()

2
otherwise
k and s will change depending upon variations
in and they are no proper
representations of material properties.
21
Original K-M theory vs. revised theory
K-M theory is particular case of revised
theory
In original K-M theory, k and s coecients
are not physical quantities
In revised theory, k and s are linked
elegantly to fundamental properties of the
material
Revised theory has broader range of
validity
22
Applications of the revised K-M theory
23
Application I: inks
Dye-based ink, subject to little scattering.
Measurements compute K-M scattering and
absorption powers deduce compute
and .
24
Application II: paper
Single sheet of paper, subject to strong
scattering.
25
Application III: dyed paper
Assumptions:
p
,
p
and z
p
for dyed paper
remain unchanged.
Additivity law:

ip
z
p
=
i
z
i
+
p
z
p

ip
z
p
=
i
z
i
+
p
z
p
K-M theory gives for k and s powers:
k
ip
z
p
= k
i
z
i
+ k
p
z
p
s
ip
z
p
= s
i
z
i
+ s
p
z
p
Revised theory:
k
ip
z
p
=

ip

ip

i
k
i
z
i
+

ip

ip

p
k
p
z
p
s
ip
z
p
=

ip

ip

i
s
i
z
i
+

ip

ip

p
s
p
z
p
K-M theory is special case

ip

i
=

ip

p
= 1.
26
Application III: dyed paper
K-M theory: scattering dominated by paper.
Revised K-M theory: scattering dominated by
paper, but inuence of factor:
s
ip
z
p


ip

p
s
p
z
p

ip
()

p
() z
p

i
() z
i
+
p
() z
p

i

p
> 0 lowers
ip
.
Revised K-M theory accounts for drop of
scattering. Agree with experimental
observations.
27
Application III: dyed paper
K-M theory: absorption power increases
linearly with ink concentration.
Revised K-M theory: absorption dominated by
ink, but inuence of factor:
k
ip
z
p

ip

i
k
i
z
i

ip
depends on
p


ip

i
1 absorbing
power of dyed paper larger than that of ink.
Conrmed by measurements.
28