Ceramic coating

Ceramic coating, also often termed nano-ceramic coating, is a permanent or semi-permanent solution to your problems depending upon the coating and kind of polymer applied. Due to its chemically inherent qualities, it does not break down during typical atmospheric environments like rainfall or summertime.

Most automobile consumers today were aware of the term "ceramic coating." Some people acquire their new automobile coated with ceramic coating even before it is installed. A transparent layer with a liquid polymer is known as ceramic coating. We must eliminate surface flaws, and ceramic coatings must be flexible enough to expand and contract with the base material without causing the formation of cracks. Now let’s discuss the importance, methods, advantages and disadvantages of ceramic coatings.

Ceramic coatings advantages and disadvantages on car

When a ceramic coating is put to a car's body, the polymer reacts with the factory paint, forming a chemical connection. It can only be eliminated by abrasion and not by chemicals after it has been coated. Ceramic coating, if done correctly, may last the whole life of the vehicle. The car's surface is well-protected by a ceramic coating. Most scratches, dirt, and chemical pollutants are protected by the nano-coating. Ceramic coating also has no negative impact on the original paint.

Ceramic coating is also more durable than ordinary paint. The protection keeps there even under significant shocks and vibrations since the coating is integrated with the original paint due to strong chemical bonding. Waxing was once used to give automobiles that additional luster. Waxing, on the other hand, is only temporary and will ultimately fade off. Waxing and ceramic coating both need a significant amount of time to complete. Ceramic coating, on the other hand, is superior than waxing in the long term because to its longer life and superior finish. Ceramic coating's extended life makes it cost-effective in the long run. In addition to the benefits listed above, ceramic coating improves the appearance of your vehicle.

All of the benefits of ceramic coating stated above come at a high cost. Depending on the quality, ceramic coating an ordinary automobile may cost anywhere from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 or even more. Ceramic coating is more expensive than PPF (Paint Protection Film), even though it is less expensive than PPF. It takes time to apply a ceramic coating. If you want your car to be ceramic coated, plan on leaving it at the detailing shop for at least three days. Ceramic coating may also make your car's original paint finish even worse if done incorrectly or professionally.

Nano scale ceramic coatings

Ceramic coatings on metals and alloys can offer high-performance oxide layers to tackle corrosion, wear, heat, insulation, and friction challenges.  Thermal spray coating, plasma spray coating, sputter coating, dry-film lubricants, and various wet chemical and electrochemical coatings are examples of ceramic coatings. Depending on the use and coating methods, ceramic films can have thicknesses ranging from 50 nanometers to several micrometre metres.

Due to their superior thermo-mechanical characteristics, emerging nanoscale ceramic coatings such as silicon nitride, silicon carbide, a diamond-like coating, boron nitride, and cerium oxide have recently been investigated in metal and alloy coatings to develop potential high-temperature structural materials.

Ceramic coatings provide a number of benefits, including increasing product lifetime, preventing corrosion, reducing heat on high-temperature components, reducing friction, preventing thermal and acidic corrosion, and improving surface attractiveness. Ceramic coatings have a number of benefits, but they also have some drawbacks: they are extremely brittle and difficult to repair, de-bonding can occur during widening and deformation, corrosion forms easily at cracks, they are heavier than organic coatings and the coating requires additional equipment, supplies, and labour.

Wear and erosion resistant ceramic coatings

Wear and erosion are activities that cause the material to be gradually removed from the material surface of moving entities. The use of hard coatings is one of the most promising approaches to decrease the negative impacts of wear on component lifetime. According to studies, high hardness, elastic modulus, and toughness are necessary in this type of coating to decrease the contributions of the major mechanisms involved in friction and wear processes.

Grades of ceramic coating

Based on application, coating method differs. The different grades of ceramic coating on car are classified into three types. They are as follows

Professional grade:

 Professional grade is the product category that only a professional detailer is authorised to use. They are commonly made with high silica a percentage, which make them difficult to work with and involves the use of particular equipment and techniques. Some of them have a lifetime guarantee and can only be fitted by a professional detailer.

High quality ceramic coatings:

High-quality coating is the second grade which is also known as professional-grade DIY ceramic coating. These are somehow modified versions of the professional-grade material, mostly with a reduced Silica percent to make application simpler. They give an excellent protective layer, decrease a need for car washing or expert grooming, and last for typically 2 to 5 years.

Cheap ceramic coatings:

If a ceramic coating advertises itself as having a 10H hardness, lasting more than 5 years, or offering a permanent layer of protection, you can typically tell it's a cheap rip-off. They are generally watered-down copies of high-quality DIY ceramic coatings, and they only last a few years at most. They frequently need a supplementary "top-coat" of "added protection." They are essentially a step up from wax.

What is 9H ceramic coating?

The 9H is a ceramic coating that creates a permanent connection with the paintwork that will not wash away or degrade. Only abrasion can remove the 9H ceramic coating, giving it an extremely durable protective ceramic coating to safeguard your paintwork from harmful pollutants. It can now be multi-layered thanks to the 9H ceramic coating.

What are the benefits of 9H ceramic coating?

• UV protection is provided.
• Self-cleaning
• Lifespan
• Dirt repellent
• Slickness of the surface
• Superior hydrophobic water repellency qualities with a high gloss finish

Advantages of ceramic coatings

• The coat will last longer
• Extremely hydrophobic
• Enhances the appearance of paint by creating nano particles
• Forms a protective coating that is simple to clean
• Adds more value than before
• Maintain glossiness over a period of time
• Provides UV protection to the paint
• Chemical defense for the vehicle
• The car is thoroughly cleaned for a long period
• It's preferable than waxing

Disadvantages of ceramic coatings

• The coating does not make a vehicle's exterior scratch-resistant
• Water stains are unavoidable. When water evaporates, minerals or pollutants are left behind, resulting in water spots due to hydrophobic nature of the paint
• The application is expensive
• It takes at least 3-4 days to reside on the surface
• Scratches, rock chips, and other forms of damage are not protected
• It does not eliminate the requirement to wash the automobile

 As we have discussed in this article, ceramic coating has several advantages that will add long-term value to your vehicle and disadvantages as well.  It will make cleaning and maintaining it less of a burden. So you can spend more time driving and enjoying your automobile rather than worrying about how to safeguard it.