Estimation of three-dimensional connectivity of internal defects in coatings using fractal analysis

The connectivity of a porous medium is an important topological characteristic, which indicates the extent to which internal defects (e.g., porosity or micro/macrocracking) are connected. Up to now, connectivity has been studied by various stereological procedures based on the “net volume tangent counts” proposed by DeHoff and performed on pairs of consecutive sections of an interconnected structure. However, the drawbacks of these procedures are their use of invasive techniques and manual counting.