Polymers v Polysilazane - There are real differences!
The paint protection market can be very confusing with many different, extraordinary and some downright misleading claims made for various coatings.
Here is a simple guide to help you make sense of it all.
The first thing to know is that, whatever the various coatings are called, they are all just brand names. There is no ceramic in ceramic coatings, no crystal in crystal coatings, no titanium in titanium coatings no and diamonds in diamond coatings.
Coatings are either Polymer or Polysilazane based and virtually all of the coatings available here in the Philippines are Polymer-based... here are 11 key differences:
Polymer based coatings |
Polysilazane based coatings |
|
• Is a liquid 'plastic' that forms a hard plastic protective coating.
|
• Is a liquid 'glass' type substance that cures to an incredibly durable protective coating.
|
|
• Sits on top of paintwork like a wax.
|
• Chemically bonds to the surfaces it is applied to.
|
|
• Give a highly glossy 'outward' shine.
|
• Gives a deep, rich 'inward' shine with and pin-sharp reflection. An application on a black car will result in a stunning 'mirror' finish.
|
|
• Is a good product for cold countries but is far less effective for warm climates. It softens in heat and will wash off after a few car washes in hot weather.
|
• Will endure any temperatures up to 3,000ºc. Meaning that they are not affected by hot weather, and will NOT soften, making them suitable for use in hot tropical climates.
|
|
• Normally claimed to be 9h. This figure is extremely misleading in hot climates.
|
• Supagard is an incredibly tough 9.7H on the Hardness scale. Diamonds, the hardest substance known to man, are the top of the Scale at 10H.
|
|
• Is susceptible to swirl mark scratches.
|
• Is incredibly scratch resistant and not susceptible to swirl mark scratches.
|
|
• Can be applied to paintwork only. Will leave a nasty white residue if applied to black plastic trims, etc.
|
• Protects the whole car; paintwork, headlamps, plastic trims, chrome trims and badges, even the rubber seals. Can also be applied on carbon fiber and vinyl decals.
|
|
• When applied to matte paint will not retain the matte finish.
|
• Do not alter the luster of the finish on matte or pearl fines. When applied to matte paint or matte vinyl does maintain the matte finish.
|
|
• Will last a year at most in hot climates. It needs either 'conserver' products or periodical 'top-up' applications to last multiple years.
|
• One single application will last approximately 6 years with normal daily use. There is no need for 'conservers' or 'top-up' applications.
|
|
• Mostly have restrictions on what shampoos or waxes that can be used on the car after it has been coated.
|
• Any PH neutral shampoo can be used and any wax can be applied on top of the coating without it being affected.
|
|
• Are NOT chemical resistant - meaning that many cleaning chemicals can easily remove them.
|
• Is extremely chemical resistant, meaning that regular cleaning products will not damage or remove the coating.
|
