Photo credit: UBC Forestry/Ally Penders
There’s Black 4.0, and then Nxylon, a super-black wood material developed by University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers that absorbs almost all light. The name is derived from Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night, and xylon, the Greek word for wood.
Nxylon remains black even when coated with an alloy like gold, which when applied, makes it electrically conductive enough to be viewed and studied using an electron microscope. Why? Its structure basically prevents light from escaping rather than depending on black pigments. This material can be used to replace expensive and rare black woods like ebony as well as rosewood for watch faces or used in jewelry to replace the black gemstone onyx.
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Nxylon can be made from sustainable and renewable materials widely found in North America and Europe, leading to new applications for wood. The wood industry in B.C. is often seen as a sunset industry focused on commodity products—our research demonstrates its great untapped potential,” said Dr. Evans, UBC Professor.
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