On BBC Breakfast this morning there was an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name), but the comment was made that it's more expensive
than gold.

They then went on to talk about, and show clips of, a building at the
winter olympics that has been clad with this stuff, it looked wierd,
and people commented that they felt quite disorientated looking at it.
Must have cost a bloody fortune though if the cost comment was true.

I can imagine some interesting, and scary, applications for this
stuff.

Davidm wrote:

an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name)

vantablack? if so, it's not that new ...

On 14/02/2018 10:20, Andy Burns wrote:
Davidm wrote:

an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name)

vantablack? if so, it's not that new ...

that's what the makers of the stuff say was used...

....though they also say "not suitable for external use due to traffic so
OK for a _temporary_ pavilion but sadly not for making that bloody
ArcelorMittal Orbit a bit less intrusive (while I wait for the
travellers to do what they do in hours to any other metal around there).


--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

Robin wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

vantablack? if so, it's not that new ...

that's what the makers of the stuff say was used...

Apparently a cheapo version of it, 1% reflectance rather than 0.2% for
the "space hardware" version

https://www.surreynanosystems.com/super-black-coatings

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/15/world/vantablack-blackest-black-material/index.html

On 14/02/2018 10:40, Andy Burns wrote:
Robin wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

vantablack? if so, it's not that new ...

that's what the makers of the stuff say was used...

Apparently a cheapo version of it, 1% reflectance rather than 0.2% for
the "space hardware" version

https://www.surreynanosystems.com/super-black-coatings

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/15/world/vantablack-blackest-black-material/index.html


yep but I thought it not worth mentioning here that journos had quoted
the reflectance figure for the wrong stuff



https://www.surreynanosystems.com/su...ntablack-vbx-2



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Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 14/02/18 10:06, Davidm wrote:
On BBC Breakfast this morning there was an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name), but the comment was made that it's more expensive
than gold.

"Vantablack"? It's not that new - NPL/Surrey University (the latter own
the name)

"absorbing up to 99.965% of radiation in the visible spectrum" (Wikipedia)

They then went on to talk about, and show clips of, a building at the
winter olympics that has been clad with this stuff, it looked wierd,
and people commented that they felt quite disorientated looking at it.
Must have cost a bloody fortune though if the cost comment was true.

I can imagine some interesting, and scary, applications for this
stuff.


There are cheaper alternatives that are not as good, but still utterly
amazing - including a spray paint called "Black 2.0"

https://www.livescience.com/58561-sp...-material.html

On Wednesday, 14 February 2018 10:06:30 UTC, Davidm wrote:
On BBC Breakfast this morning there was an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name), but the comment was made that it's more expensive
than gold.

They then went on to talk about, and show clips of, a building at the
winter olympics that has been clad with this stuff, it looked wierd,
and people commented that they felt quite disorientated looking at it.
Must have cost a bloody fortune though if the cost comment was true.

I can imagine some interesting, and scary, applications for this
stuff.

I'd heard that the blackest black was a priests sock, but that might have come from Father Ted .

Really? like what? One assumes though that if it is black then it actually
emits heat as well, does it?
Brian

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"Davidm" wrote in message
...
On BBC Breakfast this morning there was an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name), but the comment was made that it's more expensive
than gold.

They then went on to talk about, and show clips of, a building at the
winter olympics that has been clad with this stuff, it looked wierd,
and people commented that they felt quite disorientated looking at it.
Must have cost a bloody fortune though if the cost comment was true.

I can imagine some interesting, and scary, applications for this
stuff.

You don't like the Orbit? its a splendidly bizarre structure very much
needed in such a boring old place.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Robin" wrote in message
...
On 14/02/2018 10:20, Andy Burns wrote:
Davidm wrote:

an article about a new
material that was black and that absorbed over 99.8% of light (I can't
remember it's name)

vantablack? if so, it's not that new ...

that's what the makers of the stuff say was used...

...though they also say "not suitable for external use due to traffic so
OK for a _temporary_ pavilion but sadly not for making that bloody
ArcelorMittal Orbit a bit less intrusive (while I wait for the travellers
to do what they do in hours to any other metal around there).


--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid