Vantablack
| Vantablack | |
|---|---|
 Color coordinates |
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| Hex triplet | #020003 |
| sRGBB (r, g, b) | (2, 0, 3) |
| CMYKH (c, m, y, k) | (33, 100, 0, 99) |
| HSV (h, s, v) | (280°, 100 %, 0,6 %) |
| Source | [Unsourced] |
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B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte) H: Normalized to [0–100] (hundred) |
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Vantablack is a substance made of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays and is the blackest artificial substance known, absorbing up to 99.965% of radiation in the visible spectrum.
The name comes from the term "Vertically Aligned NanoTube Arrays".
Vantablack is composed of a forest of vertical tubes which are "grown" on a substrate using a modified chemical vapor deposition process (CVD). When light strikes Vantablack, instead of bouncing off, it becomes trapped and is continually deflected among the tubes, eventually becoming absorbed and dissipating into heat.
Vantablack was an improvement over similar substances developed at the time. Vantablack absorbs 99.965% of visible light. It can be created at 400 °C (752 °F); NASA had previously developed a similar substance, but that can only be grown at 750 °C (1,380 °F). For this reason, Vantablack can be grown on materials that cannot withstand higher temperatures.
The outgassing and particle fallout levels of Vantablack are low. The high levels in similar substances in the past had prevented their commercial usefulness. Vantablack also has greater resistance to mechanical vibration, and has greater thermal stability.
Early development was carried out at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK, although the term "Vanta" wasn't coined until sometime later. Vertically aligned nanotube arrays are being sold by several firms, including NanoLab, Santa Barbara Infrared and others.
The Vantablack name is trademarked by Surrey NanoSystems Limited and has been referenced in three patents registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
This substance has many potential applications, including preventing stray light from entering telescopes, and improving the performance of infrared cameras both on Earth and in space, Ben Jensen, Chief Technology Officer, Surrey NanoSystems, has explained: "For example, it reduces stray light, improving the ability of sensitive telescopes to see the faintest stars... Its ultra-low reflectance improves the sensitivity of terrestrial, space and air-borne instrumentation."
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Wikipedia