Kobe University Engineers Develop Lightweight, Printable Structural Color Ink

The new ink, based on silicon nanospheres, could significantly reduce the weight of coatings on large objects like airplanes.

Kobe University material engineers have developed a new form of structural color ink that is printable, non-iridescent and lightweight.
The ink uses silicon nanospheres that scatter light in bright colors through the phenomenon of 'Mie resonance'.
The color of the ink can be controlled by varying the size of the silicon nanospheres.
The ink can be applied extremely thinly, promising significant weight improvements over conventional paints.
The technology could be used in applications such as airplane coatings, potentially reducing their weight by more than 90%.