Black

Is black even a color ?

Are Black & White Colors?

The answer to the question – “Are black and white colors?”  – is one of the most debated issues about color. Ask a scientist and you’ll get a reply based on physics: “Black is not a color, white is a color.” Ask an artist or a child with crayons and you’ll get another: “Black is a color, white is not a color.” (Maybe!)

For the purpose of this write-up we say yes, both black and white are colors.
As with all the ECX colors, Black is packaged in a 110ml capacity plastic bottle that is filled with 100ml of the Ultra Concentrate Coolant.  The key points on the label we addressed on the Introduction and Information page, so no need to go over it again here:
XSPC-ECX-BottlesBW-LrBW-1006
Spoiler Inside: ECX Black - Bottle - Front & Back SelectShow
The MSDS advised that ECX Concentrate has a pH level between 7.5 – 9.5.
Using a Bluelab pH pen, the reading we got for the Black ECX Concentrate was 8.3

XSPC-ECX-PS2-1008
The 100ml provided is enough to make up 1 liter of solution when mixed 1:9 as instructed on the labeling. For the review we made a small batch using 20ml of ECX Concentrate mixed into 180ml of distilled water.
XSPC-ECX-PS2-1016With a black background we see (or not) just how black the mixed Black coolant is.

A white background more effectively shows the “blackness.”
XSPC-ECX-PS2-1023

The mixed Black ECX photo shoot was a short one, because using a black background seemed pointless and it is not a UV reactive coolant so only a few photos with white lights and a white background were taken.

Left to right the following tubes are set up to help show color and clarity for of the Black sample:

  1. Acrylic Res Tube,
  2. 14mm OD Clear PETG tubing
  3. 14mm OD Clear Acrylic tube
  4. 3/8 x 5/8 Mayhems Ultra-Clear Soft tube
  5. 1/2″ x 3/4″ Primochill Adv. LRT soft tube.

LED lights only front and back:
XSPC-ECX-Black-PS1-101

The Ultra-Clear tube which has a blue tint in it does not appear to show a faithful black color as the other tube types do.

Pumping up the lights with extra overhead lighting the Mayhems tube again looks dark grey rather than black:
XSPC-ECX-Black-PS1-106

In the other 3 tube types and the reservoir, Black ECX looks very black indeed with no hint of bleed through or a brownish tint we have seen with another black coolant. This is really black!

Next Up: Blood Red

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1 COMMENT

  1. Outstanding! I checked this out to see how the XSPC coolant looked and see what you folks thought about it in general. As always, ER delivered an article with amazing detail covering things I didn’t think about!

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