Autodesk

Development site for Square One's software and teaching resources

Absorptance and Emittance

This table presents some example values for solar absorption and normal emittance for a range of surface finishes.

Absorption Emittance Ratio
BLACK COATINGS a e a/e
Anodize Black 0.88 0.88 1.00
Carbon Black Paint NS-7 0.96 0.88 1.09
Catalac Black Paint 0.96 0.88 1.09
Chemglaze Black Paint Z3O6 0.96 0.91 1.05
Delrin Black Plastic 0.96 0.87 1.10
Ebanol C Black 0.97 0.73 1.33
Ebanol C Black-384 ESH* UV 0.97 0.75 1.29
GSFC Black Silicate MS-94 0.96 0.89 1.08
GSFC Black Paint 3l3-1 0.96 0.86 1.12
Hughson Black Paint H322 0.96 0.86 1.12
Hughson Black Paint L-300 0.95 0.84 1.13
Martin Black Paint N-15O-1 0.94 0.94 1.00
Martin Black Velvet Paint 0.91 0.94 0.97
3M Black Velvet Paint 0.97 0.91 1.07
Paladin Black Lacquer 0.95 0.75 1.27
Parsons Black Paint 0.98 0.91 1.08
Polyethylene Black Plastic 0.93 0.92 1.01
Pyramil Black on Beryllium Copper 0.92 0.72 1.28
Tedlar Black Plastic 0.94 0.90 1.04
Velesat Black Plastic 0.96 0.85 1.13
WHITE COATINGS a e a/e
Barium Sulphate with Polyvinyl Alcohol 0.06 0.88 0.07
Biphenyl-White Solid 0.23 0.86 0.27
Catalac White Paint 0.24 0.90 0.27
Dupont Lucite Acrylic Lacquer 0.35 0.90 0.39
Dow Corning White Paint DC-007 0.19 0.88 0.22
GSFC White Paint NS43-C 0.20 0.92 0.22
GSFC White Paint NS44-B 0.34 0.91 0.37
GSFC White Paint NS-74 0.17 0.92 0.18
GSFC White Paint NS-37 0.36 0.91 0.40
Hughson White Paint A-276 0.26 0.88 0.30
Hughson White Paint A-276+lO36 0.44 0.88 0.50
Hughson White Paint V-200 0.26 0.89 0.29
Hughson White Paint Z-202 0.25 0.87 0.29
Hughson White Paint Z-202+1OOO 0.40 0.87 0.46
Hughson White Paint Z-255 0.25 0.89 0.28
Mautz White House Paint 0.30 0.90 0.33
3M-401 White Paint 0.25 0.91 0.27
Magnesium Oxide White Paint 0.09 0.90 0.10
Magnesium/Aluminium Oxide Paint 0.09 0.92 0.10
Opal Glass 0.28 0.87 0.32
OSO-H White Paint 63W 0.27 0.83 0.33
P764-lA White Paint 0.23 0.92 0.25
Potasiuml Fluorotitanate White Paint 0.15 0.88 0.17
Sherwin Williams White Paint (A8W11) 0.28 0.87 0.32
Sherwin Williams White Paint (F8WJ2O3O) 0.39 0.82 0.48
Sherwin Williams F8W2030 w Polasol V6V241 0.36 0.87 0.41
Sperex White Paint 0.34 0.85 0.40
Tedlar White Plastic 0.39 0.87 0.45
Titanium Oxide White Paint with Methyl Silicone 0.20 0.90 0.22
Titanium Oxide White Paint with Potasium Silicate 0.17 0.92 0.18
Zerlauts S-13G White Paint 0.20 0.90 0.22
Zerlauts Z-93 White Paint 0.17 0.92 0.18
Zinc Orthotitanate with Potassium Silicate 0.13 0.92 0.14
Zinc Oxide with Sodium Silicate 0.15 0.92 0.16
Zirconium Oxide with 650 Glass Resin 0.23 0.88 0.26
CONDUCTIVE PAINT a e a/e
Brilliant Aluminum Paint 0.30 0.31 0.97
Epoxy Aluminum Paint 0.77 0.81 0.95
Finch Aluminum Paint 643-1-1 0.22 0.23 0.96
Leafing Aluminum in Epon 828 0.37 0.36 1.03
Leafing Aluminum (80-U) 0.29 0.32 0.91
NRL Leafing Aluminum Paint 0.24 0.24 1.00
NRL Leafing Aluminum Paint 0.28 0.29 0.97
Silicone Aluminum Paint 0.29 0.30 0.97
Dupont Silver Paint 48l7 0.43 0.49 0.88
Chromeric Silver Paint 586 0.30 0.30 1.00
GSFC Yellow NS-43-G 0.38 0.90 0.42
GSFC Green NS-53-B 0.52 0.87 0.60
GSFC Green NS-43-E 0.57 0.89 0.64
GSFC White NS-43-C 0.20 0.92 0.22
GSFC Green NS-55-F 0.57 0.91 0.63
GSFC Green NS-79 0.57 0.91 0.63
ANODIZED ALUMINUM SAMPLES a e a/e
Black 0.65 0.82 0.79
Black 0.86 0.86 1.00
Blue 0.67 0.87 0.77
Blue 0.53 0.82 0.65
Brown 0.73 0.86 0.85
Chromic 0.44 0.56 0.79
Clear 0.27 0.76 0.36
Clear 0.35 0.84 0.42
Green 0.66 0.88 0.75
Gold 0.48 0.82 0.59
Plain 0.26 0.04 6.50
Red 0.57 0.88 0.65
Sulphuric 0.42 0.87 0.48
Yellow 0.47 0.87 0.54
Blue Anodized Titaniuml Foil 0.70 0.13 5.38
METALS AND CONVERSION COATINGS a e a/e
Alzac A-2 0.16 0.73 0.22
Black Chrome 0.96 0.62 1.55
Black Copper 0.98 0.63 1.56
Black Irridite 0.62 0.17 3.65
Black Nickel 0.91 0.66 1.38
Buffed Aluminum 0.16 0.03 5.33
Buffed Copper 0.30 0.03 1.00
Constantan-Metal Strip 0.37 0.09 4.11
Copper Foil Tape
- Plain 0.32 0.02 16.00
- Sanded 0.26 0.04 6.50
- Tarnished 0.55 0.04 13.75
Dow 7 on Polished Magnesium 0.49 - -
Dow 7 on Sanded Magnesium 0.65 - -
Dow 9 on Magnesium 0.87 - -
Dow 23 on Magnesium 0.62 0.67 0.93
Ebanol C Black 0.97 0.77 1.26
Electroplated Gold 0.23 0.03 7.67
Electroless Nickel 0.39 0.07 5.57
Irridite Aluminum 0.11 - -
Inconel X Foil (1 mil) 0.52 0.10 5.20
Kannigen-Nickel Alloy 0.45 0.08 5.63
Plain Beryllium Copper 0.31 0.03 10.33
Platinum Foil 0.33 0.04 8.25
Stainless Steel
- Polished 0.42 0.11 3.82
- Machined 0.47 0.14 3.36
- Sandblasted 0.58 0.38 1.53
- Machine Rolled 0.39 0.11 3.55
- Boom-Polished 0.44 0.10 4.40
- 1-mil 304 Foil 0.40 0.05 8.00
Tantalum Foil 0.40 0.05 8.00
Tungsten Polished 0.44 0.03 14.67
VAPOR DEPOSITED COATINGS a e a/e
Aluminum 0.08 0.02 4.00
Aluminum on Fiberglass 0.15 0.07 2.14
Aluminum on Stainless Steel 0.08 0.02 4.00
Chromium 0.56 0.17 3.29
Chromiumlon 5-mil Kapton 0.57 0.24 2.38
Germanium 0.52 0.09 5.78
Gold 0.19 0.02 9.50
Iron Oxide 0.85 0.56 1.52
Molybdenum 0.56 0.21 2.67
Nickel 0.38 0.04 9.50
Rhodium 0.18 0.03 6.00
Sliver 0.04 0.02 2.00
Titanium 0.52 0.12 4.33
Tungsten 0.60 0.27 2.22
Spacecraft Solar Arrays a e a/e
AE 0.78 0.82 0.95
AMSAT 0.82 0.85 0.96
ATN Black 0.77 0.80 0.96
ATN Blue 0.86 0.85 1.01
ATSF 0.85 0.85 1.00
COMSAT 0.82 0.85 0.96
DE 0.77 0.81 0.95
ETS/GOES 0.82 0.80 1.02
GOES 0.91 0.81 1.12
GPS-Conductive Coating 0.81 0.80 1.01
HELIOS 0.80 0.82 0.98
IME-Conductive Coating 0.75 0.79 0.95
IMP-H 0.78 0.82 0.95
IMP-I 0.78 0.81 0.96
ISEE-Conductive Coating 0.91 0.79 1.15
IUE 0.86 0.84 1.02
OAO 0.85 0.81 1.05
PAC 0.77 0.81 0.95
SMS-B 0.81 0.80 1.01
Spanish INTASAT 0.86 0.86 1.00
SSS 0.79 0.82 0.96
MISC a e a/e
Aluminum Oxide (Al2o3)-(12/4) on Buffed Alum
- Initial 0.13 0.23 0.57
- 2560 ESH UV + P+ 0.13 0.23 0.57
- Aluminum Oxide(Al2O3)(12/4) on Fused Silica 0.12 0.24 0.50
- Silver Beryllium Copper (AgBeCu) 0.19 0.03 6.33
- Kapton Overcoating 0.31 0.57 0.54
- Parylene C Overcoating 0.22 0.34 0.65
- Teflon Overcoating 0.12 0.38 0.32
- GSFC DArk Mirror Coating-SiO-Cr-Al 0.86 0.04 1.50
- GSFC Composite SiOx-Al2O3-Ag 0.07 0.68 0.10
Helios Second Surface Mirror/Silver Backing
- Initial 0.07 0.79 0.09
- 24 Hours at 5 Suns 0.07 0.80 0.09
- 48 Hours at 11 Suns + P+ 0.08 0.79 0.10
- Inconel with Teflon Overcoating-1mil 0.55 0.46 1.20
- Vespel Polyimide SP1 0.89 0.90 0.99
Aclar Film (Aluminum Backing)
- 1 mil 0.12 0.45 0.27
- 2 mil 0.11 0.62 0.18
- 5 mil 0.11 0.73 0.15
Kapton Film (Aluminum Backing)
- 0.08 mil 0.23 0.24 0.96
- 0.15 mil 0.25 0.34 0.74
- 0.25 mil 0.31 0.45 0.69
- 0.50 mil 0.34 0.55 0.62
- 1.0 mil 0.38 0.67 0.57
- 1.5 mil 0.40 0.71 0.56
- 2.0 mil 0.41 0.75 0.55
- 3.0 mil 0.45 0.82 0.55
- 5.0 mil 0.46 0.86 0.53
Kapton Film (Chromium-Silicon Oxide-Aluminum Backing (Green)
- 1.0 mil 0.79 0.78 1.01
Kapton Film (Aluminum-Aluminum Oxide Overcoating)-1 mil
- Initial 0.12 0.20 0.60
- 1800 ESH UV 0.12 0.20 0.60
Kapton Film (Aluminum-Silicon Oxide Overcoating)-1 mil
- Initial 0.11 0.33 0.33
- 2400 ESH UV 0.22 0.33 0.67
Kapton Film (Silver-Aluminum Oxide Overcoating)-1 mil
- Initial 0.08 0.19 0.42
- 2400 ESH UV 0.08 0.21 0.38
Kapton Film (Aluminum-Silicon Oxide Overcoat
- Initial 0.12 0.18 0.67
- 4000 ESH UV 0.28 0.24 1.17
Kimfoil-Polycarbonate Film (Aluminum Backing)
- 0.08 mil 0.19 0.23 0.83
- 0.20 mil 0.20 0.30 0.67
- 0.24 mil 0.17 0.28 0.61
Mylar Film Aluminum Backing
- 0.l5 mil 0.14 0.28 0.50
- 0.25 mil 0.15 0.34 0.44
- 3.0 mil 0.17 0.76 0.22
- 5.0 mil 0.19 0.77 0.25
Skylab Sail
- Initial 0.15 0.35 0.43
- l900 ESH UV 0.19 0.36 0.53
Skylab Parasol Fabric (Orange)
- Initial 0.51 0.86 0.59
- 2400 ESH UV 0.65 0.86 0.76
Teflon (Gold Backing)
- 0.5 mil 0.30 0.49 0.61
- l.0 mil 0.26 0.58 0.45
Teflon Aluminum Backing
- 2 mil 0.08 0.66 0.12
- 5 mil 0.13 0.81 0.16
- 10 mil 0.13 0.87 0.15
Gold Backing
- 0.5 mil 0.24 0.43 0.56
- 1.0 mil 0.22 0.52 0.42
- 5.0 mil 0.22 0.81 0.27
- 10 mil 0.23 0.82 0.28
Silver Backing
- 2 mil 0.08 0.68 0.12
- 5 mil 0.08 0.81 0.10
- l0 mil 0.09 0.88 0.10
Tefzel (Gold Backing)
- 0.05 mil 0.29 0.47 0.62
- 1.0 mil 0.26 0.61 0.43
Tapes a e a/e
235-3M Black 0.95 0.90 1.06
425-3M Aluminum Foil 0.20 0.03 6.67
850-3M Mylar-Aluminum Backing 0.15 0.59 0.25
7361-Mystic Alummized Kapton 0.09 0.03 3.00
7452-Mystic Aluminum Foil 0.14 0.03 4.67
7800-Mystic Aluminum Foil 0.21 0.03 7.00
Y9360-3M Aluminzed Mylar 0.19 0.03 6.33
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