Ceramic Coating Basics: Protecting Your Car’s Surfaces
Benefits of Revolutionary Nano-Particle Technology
ON THIS PAGE:
Overview
A nanoscale ceramic coating is a clear polymer coating that provides a high-performance oxide layer to automobile surfaces. The coating creates an inseparable bond on a molecular level, protecting paint, metals, and alloys against oxidation, UV rays, severe heat, scratches, chemical etching, corrosion, and environmental contamination.
After treatment, car surfaces become hydrophobic, making them water repellent and much easier to clean. Unlike waxes and sealants, the ceramic coating cannot be washed off once applied. Below is an illustration of the reaction when a protected surface comes in contact with liquid.
New Car Protection: XPEL Fusion Plus Paint & PPF Ceramic Coating
Discover the future of vehicle surface corrosion and wear resistance solutions.
LEARN MORECeramic coatings come in many forms, including thermal sprays, dry-film lubricants, and wet chemicals, among other types. The main ingredient in ceramic coatings is Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), which is measured by percentages. The higher the SiO2 percentage, the stronger and durable the coating becomes. Importantly, nanoscale coatings are also measured by a thickness ranging between 1 -30 micron meters (μ) (also called micrometers (μm)). Microns or micrometers are measuring units used to measure the diameter or thickness of very small objects.
Key Characteristics of Ceramic Coatings
Repels water, dirt & Road Grime. This effect makes it easy to clean and remove contaminants like dirt, brake dust, and road grime.
Scratch protection. Surfaces are resistant to wear and tear.
Protects from the elements. These elements include damaging UV rays, oxidation, insect acids, corrosion, and contaminants.
Resists stains and chemical etching. This characteristic helps prevent discoloration from oils, pollutants, and other environmental impurities.
Improves surface clarity. This effect increases color depth, leaving paint with a smooth and slick finish.
Choosing The Right Ceramic Coating
Marketers have seized control of the technology, and the naming rules are unique. Glide Coat, Swirl Killer, and Diamond Coat are just a few of the peculiar connotations. Do not be duped by merchandising terms.
Car enthusiasts have tough decisions to make when choosing to protect their vehicles' surfaces with a ceramic coating. Do you go with a quality spray-on, ceramic booster, or maybe a hybrid coating? Or do you turn the whole job over to a professional installer?
Quality ceramic coatings come from superior root materials with unique application methods and formulations. Regardless of the application, ceramic coatings should include the following:
Polymers are the bonding force for porous materials like factory paint and clear coat.
Liquid quartz contains silicon dioxide or SIO2, which is the hardening ingredient. Within the quartz are various levels of the SIO2, ranging from 5 to 97%.
Quality companies and their respective technologies have progressed to more complex combinations of silicon molecule groups. One of the groups is Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), Silicon Nitride (Si3N4 9), and Silicon Carbide (SiC). These added chemicals significantly increase the hardness and durability of the coating.
Top-tier ceramic technology companies never reverse engineer their products, so choosing quality is key.
No matter the coating's name or price, choosing a quality product or service above all else is key. Ceramic or nano-particle coatings are characterized as; DIY and Professional Installer Grade.
If you are staunch, do it yourself individual, look for high concentrates of the SiO2 molecule. Ceramic sprays and coating kits are readily available, with SiO2 concentrates high as 70% to 85%. Professional detailers and installers use silicon SiO2 concentrates and hybrids reaching 93% to 97%.
DIY Ceramic Coatings
You can use specific types or degrees of ceramic coating technologies on paint, wheels, and brake calipers. As a rule of thumb, the higher a product is infused with SiO2, the stronger a coating will harden, the more durable and permanent the sealant. DIY Nano-Ceramic coating sprays are at the top of the heap. These products are concentrated polymers with aggressive percentages of SiO2, between 80% to 85%.
Spray-on Ceramics are the ideal DIY coating. Solvent-based sprays infused with SiO2 are easy to use, spray-on, and wipe the excess off. You can also use these products as a ceramic booster after applying the initial coating. In addition, spray-on coatings have about a 6-to-8-month lifespan.
Ceramic coating kits come with everything needed to protect the surfaces of your car. Depending on the SiO2 concentration and quality of the kit, nano-ceramic coatings may have a 2-to-5-year lifespan.
Cleaning and prepping the surfaces of your vehicle for ceramics is the most demanding step and time-consuming. Generally, the prepping time for a professional ceramic coating is approximately 3 to 12 hours, depending on the targeted surface, size of the vehicle, among other factors. This timeframe excludes the application of the ceramic coating.
Any area not thoroughly cleaned and prepped; ceramic coatings will not bond! Importantly, if you are considering hybrid coatings, watch out for products that include synthetic spray wax and ceramic molecules; they do not perform as advertised.
Professional Grade Ceramic Coatings
There are so many expensive, individualized products included in a professional's service quote; it is impossible to place a number for these factors. Like any other, the automotive industry places a premium on skill and professionalism. And with that comes satisfied customers.
When examining the best ceramic installation services, concentrate on skill and quality. Every online estimation and a few well-placed phone calls peg a professional's service between $500.00 and $2000.00. An approximation for services typically allows a significant amount of time for the cleaning and prep process, including paint correction if necessary.
Several companies have climbed above their competitors with unique science and a strong product mix, giving them leadership roles. Start your quality search with companies in the best position to offer a superior service.
Protecting Your Wheels & Calipers
Nano-coatings reshaped an ordinary automotive industry into an exciting assortment of products and diverse companies. Ceramic coating technologies have fashioned automobile owners into proud enthusiasts.
Wheels and brake calipers play a powerful role in the styling of your car. In many situations, a fashionable set of wheels makes the case to buy or upgrade your look. Do not let a set of unsightly, rusted, and pitted wheels ruin your car's appearance. Keep premium wheels protected with the latest in protective technology.
Wheels, rotors, and brake calipers are always vulnerable to damage because they are in the lowest part of your vehicle, making them a prime target for road debris. Likewise, brake dust is notoriously annoying and will quickly ruin any stylish look of your automobile. Brake dust contains iron particles created by the grinding of pads on rotors—these metallic particles bond with calipers and wheels, leading to severe damage.
Also, if you live in the northern states, road salt is a major headache for any part of your vehicle. Wheels and their inner workings, such as rotors and calipers, are a challenge to keep clean. Washing techniques and chemicals used to clean the body or interior will not work on wheels. Wheels have unique shapes that hide dirt and contaminants that can bond with the surface. If this debris is not cleaned and protected, pitting and rust are unavoidable.
A quality ceramic coating makes cleaning your wheels and caliper surfaces much easier to maintain. Over time, ceramic protection saves money and extends the life of your wheels. Schedule an appointment with a professional ceramic coating installer today.
We trust the information provided in this article will help you: make an informed decision regarding ceramic coatings, and determine whether you are up to the task of doing it yourself or hiring a professional installer.