Optical properties of chain-like soot with water coatings

•Optical properties calculated for aged soot aggregates/cores with water coatings.•The looser the chain-like soot inclusion is, the more the SPF is estimated.•P22(Θ)/P11(Θ) is a potential indicator to internal particle (inclusion) morphology.•The ageing process can enhance the absorption properties of the entire mixtures.