China Just Upgraded Vantablack So It Can Actually Be Used On Cars

The pigment is used for scientific research and by the military because it is almost completely invisible at night, but it can't really withstand daily use on cars.

Now, researchers in China have found a way to paint a vehicle with something that's nearly as dark, but better suited to the life of a car. It can also be made at scale, but this begs the question: do you really want to drive a car that looks two-dimensional in real life and disappears at night?

Carbon Nanotubes Can Do Everything

Vantablack's incredible pigments are made from carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes absorb nearly all visible light, and initial versions of it were actually grown using vapor deposition instead of being mixed or made.

This new idea uses a mix of nanoscale carbon black and carbon nanotubes. Both are more common than the Vantablack nanotubes, making it easier to source and supply. According to the researchers, the carbon black and nanotubes work together, with the carbon black settling on top of and inside the tubes.

Instead of reflecting light back at the viewer, the new pigment scatters it across the multiple surfaces of the carbon black particles. There are microscopic peaks and valleys in the finish, and the right mix of carbon black and nanotubes can result in absorbing more than 99.90% of the light that hits it. Technically speaking, the new formula isn't quite as effective, but it's still eerily black.

The original Vantablack finish was fragile, hence why it's not well-suited for cars. This new invention isn't. It can handle 95% humidity at 104°F. In another test, panels coated in the finish were submerged in water for 10 days without visible deterioration of the finish. Have fun buffing out any scratches, though. They'll likely show up from space on your otherwise invisibly black car.

More Durable, More Conventional Than Previous Efforts

This bit of research focused on creating the paint in a more conventional way and being able to make enough of the ultra-black coating for automotive use. It found that it has much better adhesion, which the study calls "a decisive factor" for using any finish on actual production vehicles.

While the researchers tested the finish in hot and humid conditions and underwater, they did not examine long-term automotive durability. That would include scratch and abrasion resistance as well as longer-term UV resistance and its ability to remain ultra-black.

How much of an improvement is this over more traditional ultra-black coatings? The paper, published in Matter & Light, suggests that carbon black alone is capable of absorbing 99.8% of light. So the nanotubes and the extra surface area they provide are only cutting about 0.05%. But when you're trying to create a finish that's blacker than an abandoned mine, then what seems like a tiny amount can really matter.