18 Sep Ceramic Coatings: Chemical Guidance

Introduction

If you have decided to wash your own car, then no doubt you will have searched countless online detailing shops and noticed there are hundreds of different products to choose from when protecting your car paintwork.

Finding the right product to clean your car is like reading a baby book to name your child.

After hours of research, all you have achieved is a list of names that you don’t really understand or have the confidence to make a decision on.

In this blog, DSJ Detailing will let you know exactly what products we use as professionals, and how to get superb results at home in less time.

Let’s start with a bit of science and why the ph. scale is so very vital to your car’s safety.

PH Scale

The ph. scale ranges from 1 – 14 is as follows:

1 – Very Acidic             7 – Ph. Neutral             14 – Very Alkaline

Very acidic chemicals have left the detailing market over the years as they have been the source of much damage to alloys wheels, rubber trims and just about every part of a modern car.

Although the Alkaline-based products which have replaced them are much safer, they can be particularly devastating to a ceramic coating, and I will explain why.

The Science behind our Logic

The reason is to be found in the structure of ceramic coatings and why you can experience a loss of water beading and protection.

Most of the ceramics on the market are made of Si02 particles (Silicon Oxide) mixed with a resin, try to imagine small marbles floating in jelly.

This resin acts as the glue allowing the ceramic particles to stick to the paintwork and provide the crazy water beading, we all love to see.

When heavy Alkaline products are used, the resin which holds Si02 particles onto the paintwork is weakened, and a loss of water beading occurs.

Most 9H products have a much higher tolerance to this weakening effect, due to the higher Si02 content they have, but typical top-coat products can suffer much more easily and, in many cases, completely fail.

We have also seen this happen with 9H products and our advice to customers is simple:

• Always use a ph. neutral shampoo, snow foam or prewash when washing the car paintwork.
• Wash your car more regularly.

So, armed with this knowledge, you know understand why ph. neutral is so important and will easily navigate through the hundreds of car products you encounter online and make the smart choice.

More Blogs You Might Be Interested In

For more info on ceramic coatings, click here.

Check out our previous blog ‘Car Detailing: Autumn Car Tips by DSJ’ here.

Do you want to meet our team and understand what services we offer in further detail if so visit our blog here.

If you would like to know more about how to protect your car’s paint, check out a previous blog here.

Alternatively, book your car in for the signature DSJ detail here.

More information on how to protect your car with ceramic coating can be found here.

‘Blast from the past’ – find out which local celebrity came to drop off their pride and joy here.