Tuesday, April 4, 2017
World's Blackest Black
Even the blackest pigment reflects back a lot of light.
But now scientists have developed Vantablack, a high-tech surface comprised of a forest nanotubes. It absorbs nearly 100% of the light that reaches it. (Link to video on YouTube)
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9 comments:
I've been fascinated by this pigment ever since they announced it a few years back, but it's definitely one of those that I hope I can see in person one day because photos don't seem to do it justice, especially when it's painted onto a three dimensional surface like a sculpture. The photo just looks like someone marked it out in photoshop. I can only imagine how that would look in person.
Saw it in a museum last year. It's just like in the picture, 100% black.
I would love to see how it looks when they make a painting with it, and not just an square on a small piece of reflective aluminium.
As a sort of protest somebody created a similar black (although since I never saw either one of them in person I can't guarantee it). For anybody interested:
https://culturehustle.com/collections/potions/products/black-v1-0-beta-the-world-s-mattest-flattest-blackest-art-material
Will treat myself to this (and the other colours) as a birthday present :D
PS: My partner and me wondered how confusing for your senses it would be to be in a sound isolated (like a music studio in which you can't hear an echo of your voice) room which is painted with Vantablack.
Obviously developed for or by persons working for the military. Ideal for commando night raids as camouflage for personnel and vehicles. If burglars get ahold of this we're in for it.
When I look at the people in the video dressed up like working in a nuclear center i doubt I will by vantablack. :o)
The photograph with the bust covered in black paint is not Vantablack, but a competing, non nano-tube technology based paint. Here is the link to the original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0_fID_jvA
It's not really a pigment, or at least not what I regard as a pigment, it's a structural artefact that utilises the same principle as the mantis pupil effect.
Fantasy author Gene Wolfe described this substance in his series "Book of the New Sun." It was a "black darker than black," the main character's cloak. He named the substance "fuligin." Now it exists.
Are the exclusive rights to vantablack still held by anish? I swear that whole story made for a compelling piece of performance art in and of itself.
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