So last week we talked about Wax, what it does and what it is. Remember
1)Wax has a melting point of 155 o and on a hot day it doubles thats over 250 o.
2) its never 100% carnuba wax. carnuba wax is done in volume, most waxes only have 30% volume of wax other wise it would be as hard as a rock.
3)waxes dont remove scratches!!!!! they hide the scratches.
This week were gonna learn about Sealants. Not many people know this type of “wax” excist or is even available from us detailers. Dealers normaly offer this service for over $400 up to $2000 on a vehicle.
NOw what’s a Sealant:
Synthetic sealants are polymer based and provide much more durability than even the best carnauba wax. They are liquid in form and apply very much like a liquid wax. It is usually suggested that most sealants cure for 12 to 24 hours before layering additional coats on the paint or applying wax over the sealant. Curing involves the cross-linking of polymer strands. When cross-linking is completed, the product has “cured.” Some sealants contain an accelerator, or are sold with a separate accelerator that is mixed with the sealant before use, which speeds up the cross-linking (curing) process. For best results, the surface of the vehicle should be properly prepared for a sealant, which involves cleaning and polishing the paint prior to application. Applying a sealant over a wax or surface contamination may inhibit the bonding of the product to the paint. Once you top a sealant with a wax you will not be able to apply additional layers of the sealant without first cleaning the paint and removing all the wax
The molecular structure of all polymers are based on a chain of carbon atoms, chemically it is a molecule formed by the chemical union of five or more identical combining units called monomers. A non-organic based wax formulated from polymers used to seal paint with a thin hard barrier. They are very durable and provide a very bright, but flat silvery shine. This type of product is a compromise as it does provide durability but lacks the properties of a Carnauba wax lacking both color and depth, and because of a polymer’s inherent Covalent (molecular) structure it cannot mimic the properties of a Carnauba wax.
Polymers used in sealants require a paint surface form a molecular bond to; they don’t do well when asked to bond to metal to provide protection. A clear coat (paint) has porosity, so they bond very well and provide the intended protection. Since clear coat paint has porosity, a durable bond is formed and provides the intended protection.
Process The presence of oil or water may inhibit the cross-linking process of a polymer or linking together of the chains (monomers or building blocks) to form a ‘structure’ by acting as a barrier and will compromise its strength, durability, drying time, and bonding. Be sure that the surface of the vehicle can be left undisturbed and free from rain and water (condensation, dew, etc)) until the polymer has cross-linked (12-24 hours) or the surface protection may be compromised.
That’s why you should avoid rain, even morning dew with any curing sealant layers for at least 12-72 hours (product dependent). So, when you spray water on to a curing sealant, you are compromising its durability.
Fracture/evaporation temperatures – Polymers 350oF (176°C), Acrylic resin 265 – 285oF (130 – 140°C) The term “melting point” when applied to polymers suggests not a solid-liquid phase transition but a transition from a crystalline or semi-crystalline phase to a solid amorphous phase. Melting temperature though abbreviated as simply Tm the property in question is more properly called the “crystalline melting temperature”. Among synthetic polymers, crystalline melting is only discussed with regards to thermoplastics, as thermosetting polymers will decompose at high temperatures rather than melt.
Polymer application-ease of product removal is inversely proportional (less product easier removal) to the amount used (0.5-1.0 oz should be sufficient for most vehicles).
