Nippon Paint Team Reports Ultra‑Black Car Coating That Absorbs About 99.9% of Light

Overview

• A Matter & Light paper from Nipsea Group’s R&D published on Monday, June 22, reports a waterborne composite paint that achieves roughly 99.9% visible‑light absorption by combining nanoscale carbon black with carbon nanotubes.
• The researchers say a milling process makes carbon black particles settle along nanotubes to form a textured, light‑trapping surface that flattens visual form and can be sprayed with standard automotive equipment.
• Lab panels passed initial automotive checks for high humidity, 10 days of water immersion, and elevated temperature without visible defects, but UV, scratch, rock‑chip and long‑term weathering tests remain outstanding.
• Measured four‑nines reflectance levels are technically hard to verify, so independent optical measurements are needed to corroborate the claimed ~99.9% absorption and compare it to Vantablack’s slightly lower reflectance.
• If validated at scale, the coating could let manufacturers offer extreme matte‑black aesthetics more easily than vertically aligned nanotube approaches, but commercial rollout depends on industrial process scaling and extended durability proof.