Waxes, Sealants & Ceramic Coatings - What are they?

What is a Ceramic Coating?

Ceramic is the term given to an inorganic material. When used for automotive protection purposes they offer incredible protection against chemicals and damaging UV radiation. They can also offer resistance to marring by creating an extremely slick and hydrophobic surface. Coatings also have brilliant release properties for easy cleaning. Coatings can also be highly hydrophobic and can achieve amazing levels of gloss. Coatings can also be extremely durable and last many years when applied and maintained properly.

The main advantage of a coating is the peace of mind that there is a strong protective layer on the surface that will not be removed prematurely unless applied incorrectly, intentionally abraded, or abused. Waxes or sealants have a shorter lifespan, making surfaces more susceptible to deterioration. Coatings are best applied to new vehicles where preservation and ease of maintenance is desired. As the cost per application of coatings is expensive it’s best to have a coating applied by a competent detailer as incorrect application of a coating can lead to a less than satisfactory result.

Waxes & Sealants

Waxes and sealants can have many different names, some of which are very confusing to the consumer. “Hybrid wax”, “ceramic wax”, “sealer wax”, “polymer sealant”, the list goes on. Waxes traditionally contain organic components and will last from a couple of weeks to a few months. Waxes in the traditional sense burn off as around 60 degrees Celsius and are more for looks than protection. Polymer sealants however are synthetic and create a more durable film on the paint surface that is much more resistant to chemicals and environmental factors. Sealants may have a lifespan of around 6-12 months. Please note that most waxes on the market nowadays are infact sealants. Wax is a word that is slapped on a lot of products as its a more recognisable term for consumers and therefore is more likely to sell the product.

Water Beading Misconceptions

Water beading is not an accurate indicator of protection. Fresh paint is extremely hydrophobic even though it contains no wax, sealant or coating. Water will not bead on a surface that has hydrophilic contamination (bird mess, dirt, tar, road salt minerals, water minerals etc), no matter how hydrophobic your coating, wax or sealant is. Water will sit on a dirty surface and will appear flat with little to no water beading. This proves that water beading means very little in terms of how strong the protection is on your car and means that extremely hydrophobic surfaces aren’t necessarily offering protection. Some ceramic coatings on the market offer exceptional protection against chemicals and UV yet do not bead water well at all.