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Wax protection for your bodywork
Also known as “quartz coating”, ceramic treatment is an invisible surface coating applied to bodywork that also works for plastic and wheel rims. Unlike traditional polishing products, the chemical bonding produced by the wax has a long-term protective action on the bodywork, making it really sparkle.
It is advisable to ask a professional to apply a ceramic treatment, as it's quite a complex operation. First you have to remove any dirt from the bodywork, steam-clean it and then clean with a clay paste. After that, you need to eliminate any scratches or holograms with a polishing product.
Unlike traditional polishing and nano-protection products, which aren’t so protective against abrasion and don’t last as long, ceramic wax also contains particles of quartz and silicon, a metalloid. After an activation period, the silicon particles bond with the upper layer of the lacquer in a chemical reaction, forming a solid bond. This produces a very tough but elastic coating, which gives depth and an amazing shine to the lacquer.
The quartz coating is also protective, repelling water and dirt. This is due to water repellency, also known as the “lotus effect”. Explanation: lotus leaves are self-cleaning, so they are always clean. When you look at them under the microscope, you can see minute crystals, forming a structure of barbs resembling a microscopic mountain landscape. Because water droplets can’t adhere to the fewer contact points on the leaf, they drop off, carrying off dust and dirt particles.
Due to a similar structure made of diamond-shaped particles, droplets behave in the same way with the ceramic treatment. This automatically keeps dirt away. Stubborn insect residue, dust and mud are easy to remove with a little water, with no cleaner needed. And, due to the hard surface, the “quartz coating” acts as a protective shield against tiny scratches on the lacquer and protects it against UV rays, which can otherwise lead to discolouration.
That said, unlike some advertising claims, ceramic treatment offers only partial protection against stone chips, which are obviously determined by the weight of the chip and force of the impact. I also advise you to find out about how long the treatment lasts and the range of prices offered by different providers, depending on the vehicle.
Autor : Frank Maas