Determination of the correlation between physical measurements of roughness, optical properties, and perception of frosted glass surfaces

Chemical frosting is used as a surface decorating method by many glass package producers. After immersion in an acid frosting bath, glass items present the desired frosted effect. The perception of this particular effect is due to the formation of a microscopic crystalline pattern on the glass surface, which scatters light passing through the glass surface. The chemical composition of the frosting bath influences these properties by modifying the surface roughness, the depth, and the average slopes of the crystalline pattern. Perception of the final aspect can be modified according to the chemical composition of the frosting bath. Different correlations between all these parameters exist and have been quantified.