Yes, you can use electron microscopy.

It is supposed you read some (better more) literature before you are starting your project. It is easy with Internet. Google, for example, "coating degradation sem".

Dear Kakunje

You can go for cross sectional/ surface SEM analysis. Moreover, AFM can also be beneficial to analyse the surface topological changes occurred due to degradation. A change in RMS roughness wrt pristine un-degraded substrate surface and degraded surface will be good enough.

Regards.

SEM, TEM, AFM are helpful. Please read some of my articles to understand these processes. Surface roughness play an important role in the process.

Dear Murali,

You can first design some exposure experiments to induce degradation like for sunlight degradation, you can put your samples under light bulb for several hours, wear-tear analysis in case of hard metallic coatings. You can test samples at various temperature and RH to induce degradation. Then you can study effect of these impacts on structural and morphology aspects through CARD and SEM. You can also try to check property as properties will surely affect after degradation.

Best

Ankit

It depend on the experiment you run. You can increase your degradation process. Then use SEM for analysis.

Dear Dr./ Murali, It’s been my great honor and pleasure. Thank you so much indeed for sharing your valuable works through RG.

You can use DOE TO OPTIMIZE YOUR PROCESS AFTER COLLECTING DATA