Invisible black
Perceived possibilities
LUSHADE® BLACK,
an ultra-low reflectance structural black pigment
LUSHADE® BLACK is a pigment that absorbs over 99.0% of visible light.
The special structures that form on the painted surface create a never-before-seen world.
Moreover, the effect of suppressing visible light eliminates the limitations of light reflection, which restricts the specifications for applications, taking your products to a higher level.
black beyond black— the birth of an innovative material that
combines functionality and distinct individuality
Effects obtained Benefits
Visible light entrapped in
beautiful black
Shapes are visible because of light reflection. So what if you could reduce reflections to the utmost extent?
The low reflectance that no one has experienced before opens up new possibilities in the world of art and entertainment.
A matte, super black color produced by ultra-low reflectance of less than 1.0%
Midday darkness
With a light reflectance of less than 1.0%, it is possible to create darkness in an open space.
Black that is as black as possible
Resolved issues such as ‘black not being deep enough’ and ‘black having a slight reddish tint.’
Erase features and make the object flat
Since reflected and scattered light is almost eliminated, the features of an object can be erased.
Over 99.0%
light absorption
The special sea urchin spine-like structure absorbs over 99.0% of visible light. Because the pigment can control light reflection, it demonstrates high performance in fields such as optical technology and aesthetic design.
Stray light prevention function created by
super black with a reflectance of less than 1.0%
* Stray light refers to unwanted light that enters an optical system and causes interference or reduces the clarity of the intended image.
Lenses and optical technology
The ultra-low reflectance improves sensor resolution and sensitivity performance against stray light. Use LUSHADE® BLACK to reduce veiling glare and overexposure.
In-vehicle devices
Use LUSHADE® BLACK as a coating pigment to prevent light reflection and scattering in car navigation screens, digital meters, head-up displays (HUDs), etc.
Space-related technology
It is expected that by suppressing light reflection, the accuracy of observation systems in space will be improved, and the pigment's infrared reflective properties will provide a heat-blocking effect.
A low reflectance of less
than 1.0% and a gloss
value of 0.0
Sea urchin spine-like structure absorbs over 99.0% of visible light.
LUSHADE® BLACK, developed exclusively by us, is a bismuth sulfide black pigment with a surface structure resembling sea urchin spines.
The mechanism works to attenuate visible light by allowing the light to enter the gaps between the spikes, causing multiple scattering. It can absorb light with almost no reflection.
A black pigment with high visible-light absorption and infrared reflection
The pigment has a high infrared reflectance, which helps prevent the temperature of the painted surface from rising.
It is also expected to be applied to LiDAR technology that uses infrared reflection.
※Taken using a 1550nm LiDAR device Falcon (Innovasion Inc.)
The pigment can be supplied in dispersion form,
making it easy to make into paint.
Easy dispersion processing makes it possible to achieve the world's lowest level of reflectance.
an ultra-low reflectance structural black pigment
Black that is as black as possible absorbs almost all visible light.
The bismuth sulfide black pigment, developed leveraging our proprietary technology, has a sea urchin spine-like structure that produces black that is as black as possible, achieving a low reflectance of less than 1.0% and a gloss value of 0.0.
The mechanism behind this lies in the surface structure, in which visible light is multiple-scattered, attenuated, and absorbed with almost no reflection.
LUSHADE® BLACK makes almost no reflected or scattered light; no light is reflected from any geometrical shapes, so the object is perceived as if it is flat.
The pigment can be easily made into paint and spray-painted.
Since it can be supplied as a pigment dispersion, it can be easily made into paint and spray-painted by mixing with a commercially available binder. This technology allows us to produce a black color that is as black as possible.
Being highly infrared reflective, LUSHADE® BLACK prevents the temperature of the coating surface from rising.
Another feature is that the pigment has a high reflectance in the infrared region, which helps prevent temperature rise of the coated surface. Taking advantage of these properties, it is expected that the pigment will be used in smartphones, car sensors, cameras, and other things that are indispensable in our daily lives.
Development Story Story
Existing black heat shielding pigments have high infrared reflectance, but their reddish color has remained an issue. To solve this problem, we began to work on developing a black pigment that combines a blackness comparable to that of carbon black with infrared reflection.
To achieve these two development goals, we focused on a material called bismuth sulfide. This material has a black color and the ability to reflect infrared rays, making it suitable for use in heat blocking and LiDAR technology. Another key lies in the mysterious design of the natural world. Some birds in the family Paradisaeidae have a wing structure that absorbs 99.95% of incident light, and this structure has been reproduced using pigment synthesis technology, allowing us to incorporate the mysteries of nature into our new product.
When first developed, the black still had a glossy finish, but it was completely different from any black that had come before, and by refining the pigment structure, it was discovered that it would be possible to achieve both blackness and low gloss. Furthermore, because minimizing gloss can help prevent stray light in the field of optics, the pigment structure has been further evolved with the aim of providing new value by improving resolution through increased sensitivity to visible light.
The result was success in achieving an ultra-low light reflectance of less than 1.0% and a gloss value of 0.0. These properties allow for the prevention of stray light in the field of optics, and what is more, this new black pigment appears to erase the features of the object it is coated on, creating a visual effect never before experienced. It is highly probable that the pigment will create new value in terms of aesthetic design.
In terms of aesthetic design, the super black of LUSHADE® BLACK is a black that goes beyond black, evoking the image of an infinite depth, and it has the potential to become an innovative material that breaks new ground in many fields, such as performance improvements on precision instruments in the field of optics and adaptation to LiDAR technology.
Q&A
Q. Do you sell it as paint?
No, we do not sell it as paint.
Since it will be shipped as a solvent dispersion, you will need to process it into paint.
We can show you how to process it into paint. Please contact us and we will provide you with detailed information.
Contact usQ. What is its heat resistance temperature?
Use it at temperatures below 150°C.
For other detailed processing conditions and usage conditions, please contact us.
Q. What solvent do you use?
Propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME).
Q. What is the shipping packaging?
NET weight 10 kg/can (solvent dispersion).
Q. Will the pigment settle?
Yes, if stored for an extended period of time, stir before use to ensure proper redispersion.
Topics Topics
- 2025.1.22-25
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We will be exhibiting LUSHADE® BLACK at the 39th NEPCON Japan.
Period: Wednesday, January 22 to Friday, January 24, 2025
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight East Hall 7
Booth No.: E68-28
https://www.nepconjapan.jp/tokyo/ja-jp.html#/