The company Sirris, the collective research centre for the Belgian technological industry, offers an advanced technology called “Laser Textured Ultra-Black Surfaces”. This technology is based on an ultra-short pulsed laser that creates multiscale textures on metal substrates, producing surfaces with exceptional absorption and emission properties.
This technology provides an innovative approach to creating black surfaces, unlike traditional coatings. Sirris’ laser texturing technology offers an easy, fast, durable, and cost-effective alternative to applying advanced coatings. This technology has a wide range of applications, including solar panels, scientific instruments, radiators, and aviation components. What sets this technology apart is its ability to produce ultra-black surfaces with an absorption rate of 98.6% (for nickel-coated aluminium substrates) and an emissivity coefficient of 0.99, making them suitable for aerospace applications.
The technology offers benefits such as durability, easy application, low environmental impact, and extended lifespan, making it an attractive option for aerospace applications. The motivation for developing this technology for aerospace comes from the need for superior black surfaces for optical and thermal purposes in space applications. The investments in the technology have been made by ESA and Belspo as part of a GSTP activity (General Support Technology Program), which has led to the development of laser texturing technology that meets the rigorous requirements of aerospace, with improved performance and lower costs.