Scientists have created a super black material completely by accident. Ordinary wood was enough for them – Technologies – Science and technology

Canadian scientists from the University of British Columbia accidentally created a super black material that can help in the development of jewelry and watches. The material is labeled nxylon.

New super black nxylon material.

Is the screen on your turned off TV really black? What about your mobile screen? The term black is very relative. True black, which is also referred to as absolute black or super black, does not emit or reflect any light. This means that it absorbs all wavelengths of light that fall on such a color or material. The black color you have on your display or watch can never actually be absolutely black, because even if the pixels in the display are turned off, they can still emit a small amount of light. In real conditions, it is therefore almost impossible to achieve absolute black, but in the case of some materials, it is at least possible to approach a hundred percent value.

Thanks to an accidental discovery, scientists from the Canadian University of British Columbia (UBC) managed to create a new super-black material that absorbs almost all light. Why was it an accidental discovery? Professor Philip Evans and his student Kenny Cheng originally experimented with high-energy plasma in an attempt to make wood better repel water. However, when this technique was applied to wood shavings, the surface turned extremely black. Subsequent measurements at Texas A&M University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy confirmed that the material reflects less than one percent of visible light and therefore absorbs almost all of the light that hits it.

Therefore, due to the accidental discovery, the scientists decided to continue with the research. They named the new material Nxylon, after the Greek goddess of the night, Nyx, and the Greek word for wood, Xylon. “Our material remains black even though there is an alloy on its surface that makes the material sufficiently electrically conductive. The structure of nxylon naturally prevents light reflection and is therefore not dependent on black pigments like other similar materials,” said Professor P. Evans. Nxylon can replace expensive and rare black woods such as ebony and rosewood for the manufacture of watch dials, and it can also be used in the manufacture of jewelry as a substitute for the black gem onyx. “The composition of nxylon combines the advantages of natural materials with unique properties, making it light, strong and easy to adjust to different shapes,” added P. Evans. American linden wood, a tree that commonly grows in North America, is used for its production.