Polymers v Polysilazane - There are real differences!
The paint protection market can be very confusing with all the different, and sometimes quite extraordinary, claims made by the various brands. So we thought we would put this simple guide together 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 diamonds in diamond coatings and certainly no nano technology in nano coatings.
There isn’t even any glass in glass coatings!
Coatings are either Polymer or Polysilazane based and virtually all of the coatings available here in the Philippines are Polymer based.
Here are the differences:
Polymer based coatings |
Polysilazane based coatings |
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• Are a liquid ‘plastic’ that cures to form a hard plastic protective coating that sits on top on the paintwork that it is applied to.
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• Are a liquid ‘glass’ type substance that cures to become an incredibly durable protective coating that chemically bonds to the surfaces that it is applied to.
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• Gives a brilliant ‘outward’ shine and is almost immediately silky smooth to the touch.
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• Gives a deep, rich ‘inward’ shine with and a pin sharp reflection and a silky smooth touch after a few days. Gives a stunning mirror type finish on black cars.
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• Curing time - Typically 24 to 48 hours.
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• Curing time - 24 hours.
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• Are good products for cold countries but far less effective for warm climates. Polymers soften in heat and will wash off after a few car washes in hot weather.
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• 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.
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• Has no actually H rating on the hardness scale. Often however claimed to be 9h. These claims are extremely misleading, especially in hot climates.
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• Is 9.7h on the hardness scale once cured. At the top of the Scale are Diamonds (10h), which are the hardest substance on known to man.
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• Can ONLY be applied to the paintwork of the car. They cannot be applied to chrome, plastics, rubber or any other special finishes on a car.
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• Can be applied to the whole car; Paintwork, head lamps, plastic trims, chrome trims and badges, even the rubber seals. Can also be applied on carbon fiber and vinyl decals.
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• Can be applied to matte paint but will NOT retain the matte finish.
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• Can be applied to matte paint or matte vinyl and will maintain the matte finish.
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• Will last a year at most and needs either ‘conserver’ products or periodical ‘top-up’ re-applications, to live up to the claims made about their longevity.
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• With one application will last for approximately 7 years with normal daily use. There is no need for top-ups or any other specific maintenance, you just have to look after your car normally.
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• Are susceptible to swirl mark scratches.
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• Are NOT susceptible to swirl mark scratches.
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• Often have restrictions on what shampoos or waxes that can be used on the car after it has been coated.
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• Don’t have any restrictions - any shampoo can be used and any wax or polish can be applied on top of the coating without it being affected.
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• Are NOT chemical resistant - meaning that many cleaning chemicals can easily remove them.
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• Are extremely chemical resistant - meaning that cleaning chemicals will NOT remove them.
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