PRESS RELEASE

Date: 4/13/2006

Arvada, CO: N-Science Corporation (N-Sci) is pleased to announce a new R&D effort in providing Low Reflectance Black Surfaces for Optical Applications.

N-Science Corporation and N-Sci/AST Optical Surfaces announced today that they have entered into a joint effort with Engineered Coatings Incorporated (ECI) to develop processes capable of providing “new” Low Reflectance Black Surfaces for a wide range of applications. N-Sci/AST currently produces Deep Space Black ™ (DSB) surface treatments for a variety of commercial and aerospace customers. DSB and other “high-end” black surface products are used in providing stray light control in various optical systems. These surfaces are very well known for their excellent performance in providing “light management” over a wide range of the spectrum, UV thru visible and on into the Infra-red. It is also generally understood that, in order to get this kind of “absorbing” performance, these surfaces typically require some special handling and/or additional design detail to minimize physical contact during manufacture, processing, assembly, and testing.

The goal of this R&D effort is to improve the mechanical properties of the surface while striving to provide the best optical performance possible and practical. The existing DSB product is unique in its optical capability. It is not anticipated that the new surface will provide an equivalent optical performance to DSB. It is expected that this new product will be more attractive for customers currently using either a black paint or a hard black anodize in their optics assemblies. In these instances they have traded optical performance in exchange for a “harder” surface, that is, they have lowered their “optical” expectations in order to minimize assembly-handling problems. This new surface may provide some closure in the “optical-vs-mechanical” trade, which many of our customers routinely run up against.

Samples are being prepared at the N-Sci/AST facility in Arvada CO, and processed at the ECI facilities in Centennial CO. Samples will be sent to Avian Technologies, Wilmington OH, for optical testing and performance verification.

N-Science Corporation builds and operates instruments for the science community. N-Sci also provides instrument products at the component level, for example Deep Space Black surface treatments and Sensor Subsystems. Engineered Coatings, Inc. is a small, flexible business dedicated to development of new coating systems and the solution of coating problems encountered in industry. Avian Technologies specializes in the design and manufacture of instruments and standards for optical spectrometry and other optical radiation measurements.

Contacts:
Dan Scheld
N-Science Corp
6155 West 54^th Ave
Arvada, CO 80002
dlscheld@nscicorp.com
www.nscicorp.com
Cell: 303-718-9502