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Extreme Performance Black Coatings from UV to Far Infra-Red

Carbon nanotube coatings are the blackest known to man, exhibiting

the lowest reflectance across a spectrum extending from the UV

to the far infra-red. These coatings have typically been applied

to fragile materials from which they are easily removed, making

them unsuited to space and defence applications, where they are

routinely exposed to extreme operating stress.

Vantablack® is a new nanotube-based coating developed by SNS to

overcome these limitations, delivering superior shock and vibration

resistance, virtually undetectable outgassing, excellent adhesion to

light-weight alloys and excellent thermal stability.

Patented Low Temperature Nanotube Growth Process

Whilst the application of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) to black coatings

is known (having been demonstrated by NASA amongst others),

Surrey NanoSystems’ patented process is the first to enable their

application to temperature-sensitive substrates. Aluminium foil,

fragile pyro-electric detector crystals and sensitive MEMS-type

structures have all been demonstrated to be amenable to the low-

temperature growth technique, delivering exceptional performance.

Space Qualification Testing

Vantablack has been shown to retain its optical properties following

space qualification testing to ESA standards. Qualification testing

confirms no particle fall-out when the Vantablack coating is

subjected to thermal cycling, or extreme mechanical shock and

vibration. It is chemically inert, exhibiting no mass loss at elevated

temperatures and no outgassing. This environmental robustness

avoids the contamination or foreign object debris issues associated

with traditional black coatings.

Each nanotube is only a few nanometers in

diameter and is formed from multiple walls

consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms

Vantablack coating atx5000 magnification

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0.4

0

0.8

1.2

490 620 745

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4

6

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3 4 8 106 25

Martin Enhanced Black Leading Competitor

Vantablack

Reflectance (%)

Wavelength (microns)

Wavelength (nanometres)

Leading Competitor

Reflectance (%)

Vantablack

Reflectance - Visible spectrum

Reflectance - Infrared spectrumVantablack® data courtesy of National Physical Laboratory, UK

Carbon Nanotube Applications

The range of applications for Carbon Nanotubes in their various forms is vast. The high integrity

highly aligned array of the type produced by the SNS process are particularly suited to use:

• As a coating in black body calibration sources

• As a coating for stray light reduction

• As an absorber layer in CMOS and MEMS-type optical sensors

• To enhance field emission properties of electrodes

• In thermal management applications

Not All Carbon Nanotube Coatings Are The Same

Previous attempts to use carbon Nanotubes to produce light absorbent coatings have involved

loading various paint solutions and solvents with ‘loose’ Nanotubes. This not only produces a

lower emissivity coating, but results in a material susceptible to particulate loss and outgassing.

It is also difficult to reproduce the fine lithographic patterning that is possible with Vantablack.

Surrey NanoSystemsUnit 24 Euro Business ParkNew RoadNewhaven BN9 0DQ , UK

T: +44 (0) 1273 515899E: enquiries@surreynanosystems.comW: www.surreynanosystems.com

About Surrey NanoSystems

Surrey NanoSystems is a classic success story that combines

the best of British ingenuity and materials science for use in

the development, growth and commercialisation of

strategically important nanomaterials.

The company was founded in 2006 as a spinout from the

University of Surrey, and is backed by some of the UK’s most

successful Venture Capital providers including the

IP Group, Octopus, NewWave Ventures and Parkwalk

Advisors.

Tasked with developing and commercialising carbon based

nanomaterials (Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene), the

company has made a huge leap forward with its Vantablack

material.

© 2014 Surrey N

anoSystems Ltd

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