Posted on 06/22/2026 12:00:57 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Carbon nanotubes, essentially sheets of carbon atoms rolled into microscopic tubes, are exceptional light absorbers. The problem is that they are notoriously difficult to keep evenly distributed in a liquid coating mixture; they tend to clump, separate, and settle over time. To solve this, the team used a high-energy milling process to grind the carbon black and carbon nanotubes together in water along with dispersing agents. An accelerated stability test put the mixture through centrifuge forces more than 2,000 times the pull of gravity over seven hours, with only minimal separation, a strong indicator of shelf-stable industrial viability.
Because carbon black and carbon nanotubes share a chemical property that causes them to attract each other, the carbon black particles lined up along the nanotubes like beads strung on a wire rather than mixing randomly. Researchers describe this as a “connecting-the-dots” structure.
This arrangement creates a tiny, irregular surface texture on the coating, a landscape of microscopic peaks and valleys. When light hits this surface, it bounces around inside those valleys rather than reflecting back out, getting absorbed repeatedly, similar to soundproofing foam in a studio. Researchers call this “structural absorption,” and it’s the key mechanism that pushes the coating past the limits of conventional carbon black paint.
To measure how black a coating actually is, the automotive industry uses two numerical scales, “jetness” and “blackness,” where higher numbers mean a darker, more visually intense color. Standard carbon black coatings have essentially maxed out what’s achievable with that approach alone. The new coating posted meaningfully higher scores on both scales than the conventional formula tested alongside it...
Average reflectance across the visible light spectrum came in at approximately 0.08%. For context, Vantablack reflects about 0.04% of light, while common carbon-based coating materials typically reflect 1.5% to 4%.
(Excerpt) Read more at studyfinds.com ...
May as well make new cars resemble a void, since most of them lack body creases and other design details that are pleasing to the eye.
Now you’re shooting a third? You’re a very sick person and should seek professional help. ;-)
I’m sure it will be the most popular car color in Florida, Texas and Arizona.
What is the deal with all the greyscale paint jobs?
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They like battleships.
Lots of new car paint colors remind me of 1960’ or ‘70’s “Testors” enamel model paint colors. I look at the “enamel gray” color new cars and say “When are they going to paint over that primer job?”
As for black car paint jobs, they do not survive in places like Phoenix or FResno (unless garaged 90% of the time)...after a few years the clear coat turns white then the car ends up looking like it has “scabies” or something!
Sheep who want to blend into the blandness because they think it’s safer than to stand out in a crowd by being colorful, as though choosing a particular hue of color would risk making some sort of personal statement to the world about themselves and what they stand for. So meaningful! It’s so prevalent that it has to be more than mere coincidence. They can’t have a favorite color because it’s not fair to all the other colors! /s.
It’s hard to imagine that primer grey could be anyone’s favorite. Frankly, I don’t give a damn. If my car is red, maybe it’s only because my previous cars were blue, or green or yellow, and that I just don’t care for the monotony and boredom of always playing it safe.
Variety is the spice of life. Salt & pepper...Always with the salt & pepper. I say get a life and free yourself from the monotony. However, black, white and silver looks pretty damned good on a ‘62 Corvette!
What is the deal with all the greyscale paint jobs? Some people around here are even painting their houses like that.
Green is the color of Spring!
If I recall correctly, Steve McQueen liked to drive gray cars.
Not as noticable as the generally flashier sports cars.
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