Vantablack: The Darkest Color In The World

Some of you might wonder how colors like red, green, and blue can be produced? If we were to look back at what we learned in school, we must have heard about these colors being produced when a particular substance absorbed the light wave and only reflect one type of light that represent the respective color.

But how about the color black? It is produced because the light absorbs almost all light waves that are emitted onto it. Have you ever wondered what things, substance or stuff happens to be the darkest in the world? The simplest answer will be the Blackhole.

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However, recently a new company named Surrey NanoSystems based in Britain has produced a substance that is so black and dark that it was given the name Vantablack. Vatablack was believed to be the darkest color in the world ever created by man.

What is Vantablack?

If we were to look at it, Vantablack is not something new but Surrey NanoSystems has created it almost 3 years ago. Vantablack is said to be so dark and black that it absorbs 99.96 percent of the light that is emitted onto it. This means only 0.04 percent of light will be reflected from it and it can be seen by the human eye.

Vantablack is a mixture of chemicals that are produced from the rearrangement of carbon nanotubes. It has the feature of sustaining mechanical vibrations and heat pressure which makes it being studied in-depth to test its application effectiveness and uses in engineering, aerospace, architecture, and production of microchips.

Optical Illusion

Vantablack is considered very unique. It can trick the human eye and hide the true form of stuff or a replica covered with a Vantablack layer. If you were to look at the faces of both these replicas below:

Both replicas have similar shapes and sizes. However, without any comparison with the replica on the left, the human eye is not capable of identifying the shape of the replica on the right. It is as if one dark hole does not have any shape or texture. This makes it very fascinating.

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If you were to look at the picture above. Without any original object standing beside it for comparison, it is impossible to know the type of object that is being held. The human eye will only perceive it as a black-shaped object.

The Future of Vantablack

The discovery of Vantablack is an extraordinary finding, especially in the field of science. There have been many studies being done to identify the full potential of Vantablack. One of its benefits will be as a camouflage technology for the military.

Not just that but its feature to be the ability to absorb a high amount of light can be utilized to make a telescope as well as improve the infrared technology in the camera. According to Surrey NanoSystems, there are several companies out there that make luxurious watches, cars, and smartphones that confronted them as they were interested in applying Vantablack in their latest products.

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The question remains, can you actually purchase the paint from Vantablack?

The short answer will be no. This is since covering something with Vantablack is not as simple as painting an ordinary object. It has to be done in a lab and undergo a thorough high-heat process. Aside from that, the process itself has also been patented.

When it comes to the overall cost of the process, Surrey NanoSystems said that it is far more expensive than precious gold.

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