ESO Chose Coating for World’s Largest Visible and IR Telescope

ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is considered a pioneering achievement in space exploration. The giant telescope is currently being assembled in Chile and is expected to be operational in about five years. It will then become the world’s largest visible and infrared telescope. The telescope is located on Cerro Armazones, a 3,046 metre high mountain in the Chilean Atacama Desert.

For the coating of steel structures, ESO’s biggest challenge was to choose the right paint to create the darkest possible black, matte surface to minimize scattered light and prevent interference during operation. A wide range of requirements had to be with robust epoxy primers, PU topcoats, and matching clearcoats. Because the construction was carried out by an international consortium, the WB Coatings products were supplied to two participating companies in Spain and Italy.

When planning the steel structure, emphasis was placed on keeping the telescope stable in all conditions, including strong winds or earthquakes. The structure must be absolutely stable to maintain precise alignment of components and equipment. But at the same time, it had to be light enough so that the massive ELT didn’t collapse under its own weight.

https://www.echemi.com/cms/1701010.html