Super black

Super black is a special kind of surface made by the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom. It can take in about 99.6% of light that we can see. This is more than normal black paint, which absorbs about 97.5% of light. Super black is even better at different angles. For example, at 45 degrees, it can absorb 99.9% of light.

Simple idea
Super black is made by changing the surface of a nickel-phosphorus mix. This makes the surface able to take in a lot of light.

People use super black in special tools that need to reduce light that is not wanted. One problem with super black is that it is not very thick. This means that light from things like heat, which has a longer wave, can go through it and reflect more.

In 2009, a new material called Vantablack was made. It is based on tiny tubes made of carbon. It is good at absorbing light in a wide range of types.

In 2011, NASA and the US Army started to study how to use these tiny carbon tube coatings in tools that need to see things very clearly. Now, people can buy coatings made from these carbon nanotubes.

Related pages
 Vantablack
 Black hole
 Black body

Category:Colors