Lish Group Develops Ultra-Black Car Coating with 99.9% Visible Light Absorption

On June 24, the Shanghai Color Technology R&D team of Nipsea Group unveiled a new ultra-black composite coating that achieves a visible light absorption rate of 99.9% and a reflectance of approximately 0.08%. The coating leverages carbon black and carbon nanotubes, which form an interconnected microstructure through π–π interactions, creating a structural light-trapping effect. Compared to existing ultra-black materials such as Vantablack, this coating maintains high light-absorbing performance while significantly enhancing environmental stability and practicality for automotive applications. Focusing on automotive use cases, the R&D team rigorously validated the coating’s weather resistance: test panels showed no noticeable visual defects after being immersed in a 40°C water bath for 10 days and exposed to a 95% humidity environment for two weeks, and they passed standard adhesion tests. To balance aesthetic design requirements, the team also developed a layered solution combining an “ultra-black base layer” with a “high-gloss topcoat,” preserving high light absorption while restoring three-dimensionality and surface detail to vehicle bodies. The coating has not yet entered mass production. Key challenges remain in ensuring consistent performance after scaling up nanomaterial production, optimizing costs, and improving process compatibility.