Black has long been one of the most popular colors for luxury cars. Its sleek, elegant appearance often gives vehicles a premium and powerful look.
Now, scientists have developed a new type of ultra-black coating that could make future luxury cars darker than ever before.
The new coating was developed by researchers from the Nipsea Group in Shanghai and is described in the journal Matter and Light.
It combines carbon black pigment with tiny structures called carbon nanotubes to create an extremely dark surface that absorbs almost all visible light.
According to the researchers, car color has become an increasingly important selling point in China.
Deep black finishes, in particular, are highly valued because they give vehicles a sense of sophistication and exclusivity.
This demand has encouraged automotive coating companies to search for ways to create even darker and more striking black paints.
Interest in ultra-black coatings grew significantly in 2019 when BMW unveiled a concept car coated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.
The material absorbed nearly all incoming light, creating an effect similar to a “black hole.” The car’s shape and details appeared to almost disappear because so little light was reflected back to the viewer.
However, producing such coatings in a practical and affordable way has remained difficult. Existing black automotive paints rely mainly on carbon black pigments to absorb light.
Although these pigments create dark colors, there is a limit to how much light they can absorb.
The new coating takes a different approach. In addition to using black pigments, it uses carbon nanotubes to create what scientists call “structural absorption.” The nanotubes interact with light in a way that traps more of it within the coating instead of reflecting it back.
As a result, the new material absorbs an average of 99.90% of visible light. This creates a deep jet-black appearance that is darker than conventional automotive paints.
The researchers also tested the coating’s durability. They found that it remained stable even after being exposed to water and humid conditions, suggesting that it could potentially withstand the demands of real-world use.
The team believes there is still room for improvement. Increasing the amount of carbon nanotubes could make the coating absorb even more light and appear darker still. However, adding more nanotubes also makes the material more difficult to manufacture on an industrial scale.
In the future, the researchers may also develop multi-layer coatings that further reduce light reflection and create an even more intense black appearance.
Although the scientists have demonstrated that the technology works, ultra-black cars made with this coating are not yet ready for commercial production. More testing is needed to ensure the paint can be manufactured efficiently and meet all automotive performance standards.
If these challenges can be overcome, future luxury vehicles may soon feature finishes so dark that they appear to absorb light itself.
