Nickel-cadmium black coating for solar energy utilization

Solar absorber coatings based on black nickel-cadmium alloy are reported. The authors studied the influence of electrolyte concentration and operating parameters on the appearance and optical properties [i.e. solar absorptance (alpha) and thermal emittance (e) of the coating. Corrosion studies indicate that absorptance increases with exposure time. Thermal cycling tests also show an increase of absorptance with time. This coating may be promising for high temperature solar application