SPACE DARKROOM
JAXA | A dark room for star tracker testing
IR Flock Sheet lines a ground-based dark room for testing satellite star trackers, where both visible and near-infrared light must be absorbed.
Near-Infrared Sensors
FOR NIR SENSOR
Choose black the way your sensor sees it.
Black that erases near-infrared light,
made for sensors.
A material that looks pitch-black in visible light can still reflect near-infrared (NIR).
Black to the human eye, white to a sensor.
These black materials keep that stray light down all the way into the near-infrared.
Background video: the face-recognition dot projector of a smartphone, filmed with a near-infrared camera. Left: ordinary black fabric. Right: IR Flock Sheet.
── Black to your eye. White to your sensor.
Black anodized aluminum and ordinary black fabric look properly black in visible light.
Beyond about 700 nm, though, their reflectance climbs, and NIR cameras and sensors see them as bright, white surfaces.
A black part is not always black to a sensor.
Spectral reflectance compared (250–2500 nm)
Lower lines mean more light absorbed. Hover over the chart to read each wavelength.
Tap the chart for the values at each wavelength; swipe to scroll.
Logarithmic vertical axis. Total hemispherical reflectance, 8° angle of incidence (AOI), measured by an external laboratory with a Shimadzu SolidSpec-3700DUV.
Plotted every 10 nm. Representative values, not guaranteed. Black anodizing: a commercial optical-stage plate, measured for reference.
See the numbers (550 / 950 / 1500 / 2500 nm)
| Material | 550 nm | 950 nm | 1500 nm | 2500 nm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IR Flock Sheet | 0.26% | 0.30% | 0.45% | 0.72% |
| Musou Black Carpet (coming soon) | 0.29% | 0.34% | 0.31% | 0.38% |
| FINESHUT SP | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| FINESHUT KIWAMI | 0.70% | 0.72% | 0.74% | 0.91% |
| FINESHUT KIWAMI XX | 0.52% | 0.56% | 0.60% | 0.63% |
| VL Flock Sheet | 0.29% | 9.9% | 43.7% | 10.2% |
| Musou Black Fabric KIWAMI | 0.10% | 37.7% | 19.0% | 2.0% |
| Black anodized aluminum (reference) | 5.4% | 75.4% | 87.2% | 71.9% |
── Where do you need to stop NIR stray light?
Near-infrared absorbing materials differ in form and properties.
Inside a device, in a test room, or behind a measurement?
Choose where you will use it.
INSIDE THE DEVICE
Inside sensor and camera housings
Stray-light control for lens barrels and housings
TEST ROOMS & DARK ROOMS
Walls, ceilings and floors of dark rooms
For optical sensor test rooms and dark rooms that simulate space
BACKGROUNDS & TARGETS
Measurement backgrounds and test targets
For LiDAR and face-recognition testing, spectral measurement backgrounds and cliff-sensor checks
Compare near-infrared absorbing materials
IR Flock SheetRecommended for this use
DescriptionVisible to near-infrared (2500 nm). For dark-room walls and backgrounds.
Light absorption 550 nm99.7%
Light absorption 950 nm99.7%
Light absorption 1500 nm99.5%
Contact resistance○
Water resistance×
Low dust×
PriceFrom ¥1,400 (A4)
Musou Black CarpetComing soonRecommended for this use
DescriptionWalkable, washable flooring for dark rooms and measurement spaces.
Light absorption 550 nm99.7%
Light absorption 950 nm99.7%
Light absorption 1500 nm99.7%
Contact resistance◎
Water resistance○
Low dust△
PriceComing soon
FINESHUT SeriesRecommended for this use
DescriptionFrom 0.22 mm thin. Low dust, for inside optical equipment.
Light absorption 550 nm98.8%
Light absorption 950 nm98.8%
Light absorption 1500 nm98.6%(SP)
Contact resistance○
Water resistance○
Low dust◎
PriceFrom ¥1,500 (245 × 200 mm)
Light absorption is 100% minus the total hemispherical reflectance (8° angle of incidence) measured by an external testing laboratory.
Prices are in Japanese yen and exclude shipping.
Case studies
More on infrared in our blog →
TELESCOPE
JAXA Sagamihara | Stray light in a ground telescope
FINESHUT KIWAMI was installed inside the visible-light camera and on the structure of a 1.3 m rooftop telescope to cut stray light from city lights.
HYPERSPECTRAL
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties | Hyperspectral backgrounds
An ultra-black background cuts reflection noise when measuring thin paper and fabric. As the camera also covers near-infrared, IR Flock Sheet samples were provided for testing.
CUSTOM PARTS
Custom infrared-absorbing parts
FINESHUT and IR Flock Sheet laser-cut to match metal and plastic parts. Stick them on to suppress sources of infrared noise.
FAQ: near-infrared absorbing materials
Why not just use black anodizing or ordinary black fabric?
Materials that look perfectly black in visible light can reflect strongly in the near-infrared.
In our measurements (total hemispherical, AOI 8°), a black anodized aluminum plate reflects 5.4% at 550 nm, but 75.4% at 950 nm and 87.2% at 1500 nm. A black fabric designed for visible light (our VL Flock Sheet) also reflects 43.7% at 1500 nm.
Around NIR cameras and sensors, choose a material that stays low-reflective into the near-infrared.
The video at the top of this page shows this with a smartphone's near-infrared face-recognition dots.
→ VL Flock Sheet vs. IR Flock Sheet: choosing black by wavelength
Do they work for thermal imaging cameras?
The reflectance data on this page is measured up to the near-infrared (2500 nm). We have no measured data for IR Flock Sheet, the FINESHUT Series or Musou Black Carpet around 8–14 µm, the wavelengths thermal cameras use.
Does IR Flock Sheet block light completely? Can it be used to black out a dark room?
IR Flock Sheet is made to absorb light, not to block it. Its base is a woven fabric, so a very small amount of light passes through the gaps between the threads.
If you need complete blackout, add a light-blocking sheet behind it.
Are the reflectance values guaranteed?
The values shown are representative. IR Flock Sheet in particular is a textile, so its reflectance varies with the production lot and with flattened pile. If you need specified values, tell us your application and conditions and we will answer case by case.
Reflectance also varies with the instrument, wavelength range, angle of incidence and method (total hemispherical or specular). All our figures are total hemispherical reflectance at an 8° angle of incidence.
→ Ask about specified values and measurement conditions
Can they be used near lasers, solar simulators or other strong light sources? Are they flame-retardant?
IR Flock Sheet is not flame-retardant and will ignite in a direct flame. Heat build-up under a high-power source depends on the temperature reached, so we cannot give a blanket yes; please run a heating test on your setup or a sample first.
Musou Black Carpet (coming soon) has been tested as a floor covering to EN 13501-1 (Cfl-s1) and ASTM E648 (Class I). Requirements differ by country and facility.
→ Ask about your operating environment and fire safety
Are there export restrictions on these materials?
IR Flock Sheet and the FINESHUT Series are not list-controlled items under Japan's export control regulations, but they are subject to catch-all controls. For shipments and re-exports outside Japan, we may ask about the end use and the end user (company name, industry and country).
Can you cut them to fit my parts, or even apply them for me?
FINESHUT and IR Flock Sheet can be laser-cut to your shape, with dimensions specified in 0.1 mm steps. We can also take on the whole job, from cutting to applying the pieces to parts you supply.
Send us the shape, quantity and tolerances for a quote.
→ Laser Cut Service
Tell us your wavelength and conditions.
"Does it work at this wavelength?" "Can it be cut to this shape?" "How many square meters do we need?"
Talk to us while you are still working out the specification.
© Musou Black · KOYO ORIENT JAPAN CO., LTD.
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