# ceramic coatings



## steve from wath (Dec 12, 2008)

am liking more about the ceramic type of coatings that are around

so where can we purchase them from?

what are the variuos makes?

do you have to use specific products to maintain them?

do you maintain them at all?


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Don't know about ceramics but products such as Opti-coat (opti-guard) do not really require anything aside from washing. I am told you can clay and use a mild polish afterwards but that seems to be about all you need.

I do wonder if this is why they are not so popular, the lack of additional products or work may not be ideal for everyone.


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## Aristan (May 4, 2011)

The best product of 2012 in the field of protective covers.
Effect of a lotus of 150 sinks.
Ceramic protection.
http://en.nano-shine.su/


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## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

I think for the hobbyist who doesn't have a heated garage to apply them in they are too fussy to apply, too easy to over apply and take away from the whole detailing ethos, I haven't got the time to be detailing every weekend but I do find it cathartic when I get stressed.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

Aristan said:


> The best product of 2012 in the field of protective covers.
> Effect of a lotus of 150 sinks.
> Ceramic protection.
> http://en.nano-shine.su/


Interesting thing to say quite a statement would you like to add a sample this to a ongoing test.











many more vids of the test on the channel 10 nano coatings on trial

My thoughts on coatings yes they do need aftercare mainly to help stop the water etching problem they suffer, also iron X APC wash actually help revive these coatings.

Whats the best coating on the market from the many I have tired Opti-coat Max protect... the new cquk only really started playing with but early impressions are very good. best quick detailer on the market at moment EXO


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Max Protect all day long!


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## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

not arsed tbh 

ill stick with waxes :lol:


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

ianFRST said:


> not arsed tbh
> 
> ill stick with waxes :lol:


Nothing wrong with a good wax but last couple of years i have noticed this more then ever so many cars that have had just a wax yet fly etchings etc are eating in to the paint and do require a machine polish to remove these ceramic coatings are much better at protecting from that :thumb:


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Bird etchings as well, I left one on my bonnet for a week, even baked in the sun and it literally blasted off with a rinse with zero sign of etching.


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Does anyone know if these 'nano' tech sealants are layer-able, and if there is any benefit in doing so.
I don't hear this practice being mentioned on the forum or in the manufacturers application instructions.

Once the nano sealant is chemically bonded to the paint, do you just layer up with the top up sprays *only* like Gtechniq C1.5, CarPro Reload, Max Protect Silk Coat.


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## cotter (Aug 31, 2008)

Only ceramic one I have used is Ceramishield, and it's great. Easy to apply, easy to buff off, and practically cleans itself in the rain. No special upkeep needed, just use a non wax shampoo. Bird dirt and the like just blast off. Can be topped with wax or another sealant if you want, but I personally don't. Standard formula can be bought from Concours online, I think Shinerama stock it as well. Pro, which has three year warranty, is only available thought the approved network, and must be applied by an approved detailer.


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## cbred (May 9, 2011)

I agree with cotter on this , I applied ceramishield the other week to my car and the finish is great . Went on easy and off easy and even tho the car looked dirty yesterday it rained and having finished work , I walked to the car and my mate stood starring at my car saying how clean it looked . It looked the same as when I applied ceramishield . 

He now wants it on his b class Mercedes when he gets it next week .


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

Tips said:


> Does anyone know if these 'nano' tech sealants are layer-able, and if there is any benefit in doing so.
> I don't hear this practice being mentioned on the forum or in the manufacturers application instructions.
> 
> Once the nano sealant is chemically bonded to the paint, do you just layer up with the top up sprays *only* like Gtechniq C1.5, CarPro Reload, Max Protect Silk Coat.


yes some of them you can layer or double coat depends which one you are interested in

I recently did a test on reload C1.5 and silk coat but am waiting to see if someone else does the same to see if get same results and feel to paint after using them.


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

Tips said:


> Does anyone know if these 'nano' tech sealants are layer-able, and if there is any benefit in doing so.
> I don't hear this practice being mentioned on the forum or in the manufacturers application instructions.
> 
> Once the nano sealant is chemically bonded to the paint, do you just layer up with the top up sprays *only* like Gtechniq C1.5, CarPro Reload, Max Protect Silk Coat.


Can only comment on relaod and Permanon. Both work fine on top of nano or ceramic's that I have used. reload works perfectly fine over traditional waxes also:thumb:


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Is two coats of C1+ better than one coat?

Is two coats of CQUK better than one coat?

I've been told two coats of UNC V1 is better than one coat, but once you use UNC V2 on top that's it.

Other than coverage, is there any benefits to having two nano coats on paint, wheels, plastic trim.


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## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

Personally im not convinced, with them, we have done some indepth testing with a view to developing and manufacturing our own in house here at OCD but are finding issues with some we are concerned with the increase in stone rash that we have encountered with soem as the bond is such that an impact can take a great wack of paint with it. something we are looking into in more depth. Its great for etching ansd swirl prevention but im personally not convinced. the problem that some are particulate with means the bond is rigid and not flexible but it s hit and miss will love to do a long term comparison on a car to see more real world effects.


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## mkv (Jun 12, 2008)

My issue with ceramic coats is the claims that are made. The majority of these coatings come from foreign shores where the atmosphere and weather is different from here. I wonder how much this affects the coating. Im not saying it does or does'nt but leaves me sitting on the fence too.
The theory is great, but i will take some convincing. Ive seen cermaics when 1st applied and they do look stunning. Will they still be holding up after 18-24 months. Especially after a hard british winter of ice, snow and road salt.

Steve


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## davies20 (Feb 22, 2009)

Im really tempted by these atm. My seat paint seems to be a soft as butter. 

I like the look of ceramisheild & want to apply it - But need to correct my paint first, which i cant do


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## ZIGGYNO1 (May 30, 2007)

cbred said:


> I agree with cotter on this , I applied ceramishield the other week to my car and the finish is great . Went on easy and off easy and even tho the car looked dirty yesterday it rained and having finished work , I walked to the car and my mate stood starring at my car saying how clean it looked . It looked the same as when I applied ceramishield .
> 
> He now wants it on his b class Mercedes when he gets it next week .


did u apply inside or out?


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

1. Introduction 
Superhydrophobic coatings are increasingly attractive to the industry and academia due to their 
unique self-cleaning properties as a result of their water repelling characteristics [1]. Fabrication of 
superhydrophobic coating is an inspiration from nature as water is seen to repel on many natural 
surfaces such as those of the lotus leaves, butterfly wings, water striders' legs, and so on [2-5]. This 
behavior of water drops rolling off their surfaces is due mainly to the presence of a combination of 
rough micro-nanostructure and low surface energy waxy materials on their surfaces. This concept has 
been well elaborated by Neinhuis et al. [4] on the surface of the lotus leaves which has been the classic 
example is the field of superhydrophobicity for researchers around the globe emphasizing the 
importance of the geometry and the chemistry of the surface. Inspired by this phenomenon, we have 
recently transformed aluminum surfaces, copper and silicon surfaces superhydrophobic by first 
creating surface roughness using methods such as chemical bath deposition, electrochemical methods 
and chemical etching methods and then modifying those surfaces by either passivating using low 
surface energy molecules such as stearic acid or fluoroalkyl-silane (FAS-17) or by coating with 
rf-sputtered Teflon thin films [6-11]. The multilayer deposition process of organic and inorganic 
materials [12,13] such as nanoparticles as rough hydrophobic material [14,15] are also techniques to 
obtain superhydrophobic surfaces.

In all these cases, the surfaces exhibited water roll-off properties providing water contact angle 
values greater than 150°, which is due to the air entrapment in the gaps of the rough structure produced 
in the first step, resulting in a composite structure of air and solid in combination with the presence of 
low surface energy components on the roughened surface which reduces the affinity of water to the 
surface. The effect of surface roughness on superhydrophobic properties has been elucidated by 
Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter in their mathematical models formulated in 1940s [16,17].

Superhydrophobic surfaces find tremendous importance in the technological world where they can 
be applied in domains such as anti-corrosion, anti-biofouling, electrowetting and even in drag 
reductions [7,18-23]. However, the most important challenge faced by industries is the feasibility of 
large-scaling in an effective and economical manner. Therefore, in this study, we present a simple 
sol-gel technique where silica nanoparticles are synthesized via a Stöber process. In order to eliminate 
a second step of passivation or coating to obtain low surface energy, these silica nanoparticles are 
functionalized in the suspension using FAS-17 molecules before coating on aluminum substrates. 
The functionalized fluorinated silica nanoparticles suspended in a solution are then deposited via a 
spin-coating technique on to the aluminum substrates to obtain superhydrophobic coatings 
demonstrating large-scale feasibility.

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

2. Experimental Section 
The solutions containing fluorinated silica nanoparticles are prepared in the laboratory using 
standard Stöber process [24]. Initially, at a hotplate temperature of 50 °C, ethanol and ammonium 
hydroxide (NH4OH) were mixed in a beaker using a magnetic stir bar. While stirring, a solution of 
tetraethoxysilane or TEOS (Si(OC2H5)4) is added drop by drop in the mixed solution. The transparent 
mixed solution turns opaque confirming the formation of silica nanoparticles [25-27]. The synthesized 
silica nanoparticles are further funtionalized in an ethanolic fluoroalkylsilane or FAS17 (C16H19F17O3Si) 
solution. The AA-6061 aluminum alloy, silicon and sodalime glass substrates were coated with the 
fluorinated silica nanoparticles by spin-coating processes. The nanoparticle coated films were dried at 
70 °C on a hotplate to allow the ethanol and excess water to evaporate from the films. Transform 
Infrared spectroscopy (IRRAS) was used to evaluate the atomic bonding in the films. IRRAS (Nicolet 
6700 FT-IR) is equipped with a Mid-IR MCT-A N2-cooled detector and a KBr beam splitter. The thin 
films were also analysed via a high-resolution field emission gun scanning electron microscope 
(FEGSEM: Hitachi SU-70) for morphological analysis. The wetting properties of the functionalized 
particles coated on multiple substrates were performed by measuring both static and dynamic contact 
angles (Krüss contact angle goniometer) at five positions on each substrate using a 5 µL deionized 
water drop. The static contact angle has been abbreviated as CA and dynamic contact angle or contact 
angle hysteresis has been abbreviated as CAH throughout the text. The CAH is the difference between 
the advancing and the receding angle. The CAH measurements were made at room temperature 
following a very standard and commonly used experimental procedure as reported in the literature 
[28-30]. In this method, a water drop of volume ~5 µL was suspended with the needle and brought in 
contact with the superhydrophobic surfaces using a computer controlled device as provided by Krüss 
GmbH. The contact CAH was measured by holding the water drop with a stationary needle in contact 
with the surface and moving the goniometer stage in one direction. The surface roughness of the films 
were measured using an optical profilometer (MicroXAM-100 HR 3D surface profilometer).

3. Results and Discussion 
The molecular bonding of the fluorinated species as well as the silica bonds on surfaces coated with 
varying numbers of layers of the fluorine-functionalized silica nanoparticles were investigated with 
IRRAS spectral analyses. The Figure 1(A) shows the IRRAS spectra of the fluorinated silica 
nanoparticles spin coated aluminum substrates in one and nine layers. When one and nine layers are 
spin coated on the substrate, several peaks appear. The peak at 1,100 cm-1 is due to the asymmetric 
stretching vibration of Si-O-Si bonds in the silica nanoparticles in the thin films [31-34]. Another 
small peak appearing at around 800 cm-1 is associated with the bending mode of Si-O-Si bonds. Also, 
the peak at 480 cm-1 is associated with Si-O-Si bond for the rocking vibration [35]. This particular 
peak shows clearly an increase in intensity with an increase in the number of layers, proving an 
increase of the concentration of nanoparticles on the Al surface. Infrared analysis of the surface shows 
a peak around 945 cm-1 which is attributed to silicon hydroxide (Si-OH) bonds present on 
unfunctionnalized silica nanoparticles [6].

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

Other interesting peaks are those present in the FAS17 molecules. At the beginning of the 
molecules, hydro-carbon bonds are present. A reasonably broad peak around 900 cm-1 is assigned to 
the C-H bonds. Continuing on the molecules, fluoro-carbon bonds are present. The existence of C-F 
bonds in the form of CF, CF2 or CF3 are also located at 610, 730, 960 and 1,250 cm-1 [33,34,36,37]. The 
most important peak appears at 1,145 cm-1. This particular peak represents a Si-O-C bond which 
confirms that the FAS17 molecule is clearly attached to silica nanoparticles. The presence of additional 
new peaks arising from the fluorinated functional groups present in the films confirms that the 
nanoparticles of silica are functionalized by fluorine from the FAS17 molecules. Figure 1(B) shows on 
the top a representation of a silica nanoparticle covered with a thin film of FAS17. On the bottom of 
the figure, a molecular representation of the fluorinated nanoparticles is presented with their 
corresponding wavenumbers.

Figure 1. (A) Transform Infrared spectroscopy (IRRAS) spectra of fluorinated silica

nanoparticles coated aluminum surfaces as a function of the number of layers.

(B) Schematic presentation of a silica nanoparticle functionalized with a thin layer of 
FAS17 (top) presented along with the corresponding wavenumbers on the IR spectra 
(bottom). 
We have previously reported that that the size of silica nanoparticles can be easily controlled 
through the concentration of catalyst [6,24,38,39]. Figure 2 shows SEM images of spherically shaped 
fluorinated silica nanoparticles of diameter 119 ± 12 nm deposited in three layers on aluminum 
substrates. The inset of Figure 2(A) shows the image of a water drop placed on this aluminum 
substrate surface showing a very high water contact angle of ~152°. It is clear from these images that 
this surface is composed of several micrometer sized clusters of these spherical nanoparticles 
presenting randomly distributed holes and cracks by which the clusters are separated. It can also be 
seen from the higher magnification image in Figure 2(B) that these spherical fluorinated silica 
nanoparticles are also randomly stacked in steps of layers presenting different depths. Such an 
arrangement of randomly stacked spherical nanoparticles in clusters separated by cracks and holes 
provides the surface a rough micro-nanopattern. Nozawa et al. [38] obtained 110 ± 20 nm silica

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

nanoparticles using the Stöber process at a NH4OH/TEOS molar ratio of 10, however, in our case, the 
size of the nanoparticles obtained under the same conditions are ~10 nm larger (119 ± 12 nm). The 
larger size in our case is attributed to the presence of an outer shell of fluorinated silane bonded around 
the silica nanospheres as a result of their functionalization using FAS-17 molecules as presented 
schematically in Figure 1(B).

Figure 2. (A) SEM images of fluorinated silica nanoparticles of 119 ± 12 nm diameter 
deposited on aluminum substrates in three layers by spin coating; Inset of Figure 2 (A) 
shows the image of a water drop placed on this surface exhibiting a very high water contact 
angle of ~152°, and (B) higher magnification image of (A).

Water contact angle measurements were used to evaluate the wetting properties of the prepared 
surfaces. Increased contact angles are, partially, increased because of roughness, which increased air 
entrapment as stated by Cassie-Baxter equation. Figure 3 (A) shows the contact angles variation on the 
aluminum surfaces coated using the as-prepared fluorinated silica nanoparticles in the solution as well 
as the ones coated by diluting the same. In both cases, the water contact angle values were found to 
increase with the increase in the number of layers of the fluorinated silica nanoparticles deposited on 
the substrates until a critical number of layers was reached after which the water contact angle values 
remained similar on the surfaces coated using as-prepared solution. However, higher water contact 
angle values were obtained on surfaces coated using the as-prepared fluorinated silica nanoparticles 
solution. For example, on the aluminum surfaces coated with one layer of as-prepared solution, an 
increased water contact angle value of 137 ± 1° was obtained, making these surfaces hydrophobic 
since a clean aluminum surface provides a water contact angle of only ~70°. The surface was rendered 
superhydrophobic when the number of layers was increased to three providing a higher water contact 
angle value of 152 ± 1°. This increase in water contact value is attributed to the rough 
micro-nanomorphogical pattern obtained on these surfaces (Figure 2) as well as the presence of low 
surface energy fluorinated species present on these surfaces as confirmed by the IRRAS analyses 
(Figure 1(A)). This emphasizes the importance of the presence of both surface roughness as well as 
low surface energy, a phenomenon reported on lotus effect [4]. Further, the influence of surface 
roughness in leading to a large amount of air entrapment in the gaps of the rough structure to result in a 
composite structure of air and solid has been well elucidated by Cassie and Baxter [16]. With a further

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

increase in the number of layers to five, the water contact angle values slightly increased to ~153° and 
remained similar when coated with seven and nine layers. Therefore, three layers of coating may be 
considered as a critical parameter for obtaining superhydrophobic properties when the coating is made 
with the as-prepared solution. Similarly, an increasing tendency in water contact angle values was 
observed also in cases of coatings prepared with the dilute solution. However, the water contact angle 
reached lower values when the same number of layers was used as with the as-prepared solution. Such 
lower values may be attributed to the lower concentration of the fluorinated silica nanoparticles in the 
diluted solution, possibly resulting in morphologies with less surface roughness (Figure 3(B)). 
However, with the diluted solution, superhydrophobic properties were indeed obtained when the 
numbers of layers deposited on the surface was increased. For example, with only one layer coated 
with the dilute solution, the water contact angle increased to 128 ± 2° (although this is lower than on 
the same coating using as-prepared solution). With three layers, the contact angle reached 135 ± 3° 
which further increased to 144 ± 1° on deposition of five layers. With seven and nine layers of coating, 
the contact angle values reached to a high of 150 ± 1° and 151 ± 1°, respectively. These values show 
that a critical number of seven layers was required to attain superhydrophobicity when using dilute 
solution as compared to only three layers that was sufficient to obtain this property with the 
as-prepared solution of the fluorinated silica nanoparticles.

Although superhydrophobic properties could be obtained using both as-prepared and diluted 
solutions, the difference in the critical number of layers required in obtain these properties is attributed 
to the difference in the surface roughness obtained on the corresponding surfaces. Figure 3(B) shows 
the variation in the root mean square (rms) roughness measured on the surfaces prepared with varying 
numbers of layers coated using the two different solutions deposited on aluminum substrates. As an 
example, a three dimensional surface profile obtained during the rms measurements of aluminum 
surface prepared by coating three layers using as prepared solution has been presented in the inset of 
Figure 3(B). These graphs show that the contact angle and the roughness vary proportionally as it is 
clear that the water contact angle increases with increase in surface roughness until a critical roughness 
value is reached. Figure 3(C) shows a plot of water contact angle as a function of rms roughness on the 
coatings prepared using as prepared solution. We have previously reported a detailed mathematical 
model to show the relationship between the roughness and water contact angle in reference to Cassie 
model [6]. Huang et al. [40] have also shown similar behavior on their electrochemically deposited 
copper state surface. On the coatings prepared using the as-prepared solution, an rms value of

0.60 ± 0.10 µm on a one layer coating increased to 0.69 ± 0.01 µm when coated with three layers 
where superhydrophobic properties were obtained with a contact angle above 150°. With further 
increase in the number of layers to five, seven and nine, the rms roughness remained unchanged 
(~0.71 µm). The similar rms values on the coatings prepared with more than three layers shows that 
increasing the number of layers further does not cause any change in the surface roughness and 
therefore provides the same contact angle values on these surfaces. Therefore, an rms roughness of 
0.69 ± 0.01 µm obtained with three layer coating is found to be a critical value in obtaining 
superhydrophobic properties. Similarly, in case of the coatings prepared using diluted solution, the rms 
values show that superhydrophobic properties were only reached when the rms values reached 
0.70 ± 0.02 µm when coated with seven layers on the substrate providing a water contact angle value 
of 150 ± 1°. These values were lower on the surfaces coated using less layers, that is, 0.57 ± 0.10 µm,

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

0.61 ± 0.03 µm and 0.67 ± 0.03 µm, respectively on the surfaces coated with one, three and five layers, 
which provided water contact angles lower than 150°. With nine layers of coating, the rms value 
slightly increased to 0.72 ± 0.05 µm, maintaining superhydrophobic properties. Therefore, a critical 
rms roughness value of 0.69 ± 0.01 µm in case of as-prepared solution which is not very different from 
the rms values of 0.70 ± 0.02 µm in case of diluted solution is required for obtaining superhydrophobic 
properties, however, the presence of low surface energy fluorinated components is another key factor 
in obtaining these properties. In our case, the presence of a low surface energy fluorinated component 
is inherent as the silica nanoparticles are funtionalized with FAS-17 molecules prior to deposition on 
the substrate surfaces. The combination of the critical surface roughness of ~0.70 µm and presence of 
fluorinated species as confirmed by IRRAS analyses leads to the superhydrophobic properties with 
water roll-off properties. 
Figure 3. (A) Water contact angle variation, and (B) rms roughness as a function of 
number of layers coated using as-prepared (black) and dilute solution (red);

(C) relationship between water contact angle and rms roughness as obtained on the 
coatings prepared using as-prepared solution on aluminum substrates; and (D) water 
contact angle variation with number of layers coated using dilute solution on different 
substrates, namely, aluminum (black), silicon (100) (red) and sodalime glass (blue). Inset 
shows transparency of our superhydrophobic coatings on glass substrates.

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

The uniformity of the coating has been verified on various substrates as shown in Figure 3(D). 
In addition to aluminum substrates, the feasibility of the coatings were also tested on silicon (100) and 
sodalime glass substrates. Figure 3 (D) shows the water contact angle behavior for all the three 
substrates coated with diluted solution of fluorinated silica nanoparticles. The water contact values 
obtained on as-received flat substrates of Si(100) and glass are ~60° and ~30°, respectively. 
In both cases, the water contact angle value increases with an increase in number of deposited layers. 
With just one layer of coating, the surface reaches the hydrophobic zone by providing water contact 
values greater than 90° in case of all the three substrates. Superhydrophobic properties are reached by 
increasing the number of deposited layers. The feasibility of obtaining superhydrophobicity on 
different substrate surfaces can have great potential in industrial use. As a potential for applications on 
glass windows or car wind-shields, we have provided images of glass substrates coated with one layer 
and nine layers of diluted solution in the inset of Figure 3(B). It is clear from these images that one 
layer or nine layers does not dramatically alter the transparency of the glass following coating visually, 
the only difference being that the one layer coating is hydrophobic while the nine layer coating is 
superhydrophobic. Such coatings also present promise for applications for aesthetic purposes when 
coated on opaque substrates.

Figure 4. Contact angle hysteresis (CAH) as a function of number of layers coated using

as-prepared (black) and diluted solution (red). Inset image at the left shows high CAH of

~15° for one layer coating and right shows low CAH of 2° for nine layers coating.

The combined effect of CA and CAH determine the self-cleaning properties [29]. A surface having 
CA more than 150° and CAH less than 5 degree shows self-cleaning properties. On the other hand, 
a surface showing CA more than 150° and CAH more than 10° does not show the self-cleaning 
properties [41]. In the view of claiming the self-cleaning properties of our superhydrophobic surfaces, 
we have performed both CA and CAH experiments. The CA results have been discussed in the 
previous section. In this section we describe the results of dynamic contact or CAH. Figure 4 shows 
the CAH data of the coatings prepared with fluorinated silica nanoparticles on flat aluminum 
substrates. One layer coating using both as-prepared as well as diluted solution provides CAH of

Appl. Sci. 2012, 2

14 ± 3° and 15 ± 3°, respectively. The CAH reduced to 3 ± 1° with three layers coatings of as-prepared 
solution. However, in the three layer coatings using diluted solution, the CAH was 11 ± 4°. The CAH 
reduced to 2 ± 1° for the coatings obtained by seven layers using as-prepared solution. On the other 
hand, the seven layer coatings with the diluted solution provided a CAH of 4 ± 1°. Finally, for both the 
solutions with nine layers of coatings, the CAH reduced to 2 ± 1°. Therefore, the self-cleaning 
properties (coating having CA more than 150° and CAH less than 5°) can be obtained with three layer 
coatings using as-prepared solution. However, for diluted solution a coating with seven layers is 
required.

The mechanical properties of the superhydrophobic coatings are very important for their uses 
against surface erosion, friction as well as corrosion protection [42-44]. Keeping these important 
applications in mind, we will be investigating the mechanical properties of our superhydrophobic 
coatings in future.

4. Conclusions 
Solutions of monodispersive spherical fluorinated silica nanoparticles of ~120 nm have been 
prepared by sol-gel processes and have been used to prepare thin films on flat aluminum, silicon and 
glass substrates by spin-coating processes. FAS-17 molecules are used for the fluorination of the silica 
nanoparticles. IRRAS spectra show the presence of C-F and Si-O bonds resulting from the 
functionalization of silica nanoparticles by FAS-17 molecules. An increase in the surface area of the 
C-F and Si-O peaks has been encountered in the spectra with an increase in the number of layers used 
for coating. The water contact angle values were found to increase with increasing numbers of layers 
until a critical number of layers: three in the case of as-prepared solution used for coating and seven in 
case of the diluted solution used for coating. As we have achieved the contact angle of more than 150° 
and CAH less than 2°, we consider our coatings possess self-cleaning properties. Water contact angle 
in relation to surface roughness measurements show both parameters are proportional as water contact 
angle increases with an increase in surface roughness. The roughness measurements also show that the 
rms values increase with the increase in the number of layers coated. When applied on other substrates, 
like silicon or glass, superhydrophobicity is obtained by tuning the number of layers of deposition. The 
transparency of the coating has been demonstrated on glass substrates, which shows the great potential 
of such coatings in industrial use on large scale, such as on windows and car windshields as well as for 
aesthetic purposes on opaque substrates. With its good optical properties, these fluorinated silica 
nanoparticles can be used as paint additives to obtain large-scale superhydrophobic coatings.


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## Crash Master (Feb 5, 2012)

So what would you say is the best product to protect the paint is then?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

This is interesting to see:

http://prodetailing.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/optimum-opticoat-review-after-2-years.html


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

Wow, did you type that out Lee.


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## steve from wath (Dec 12, 2008)

nice copy and paste skills



:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

steve from wath said:


> nice copy and paste skills
> 
> :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


of course it was copy and paste lol but it goes to show about layer increase etc

As for best the 10 on my car which is now around 6 months in and all the chemcial testing i did on them all its hard to say i want to wait few more months on what i think is the best but of course this will only be my opinion others might vary but i do think highly of Opti-Coat and couple of others on the car.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

Ben Gum said:


> I have spent half my life writing articles like the above but it is dangerous info due to the ease of misinterpretation. There are a number of things which make the cited work difficult for comparison. For starters there is the prep. method and every bit as significant is the application technique. There is also the small matter of the production coatings producing really rather different results (notably I haven't actually witnesses a permanent coating exceed about 110 degree contact angle, much less achieve the 150 deg or super classification).
> 
> More than that... you are talking about relatively small changes or real world application. Assuming you achieved the 137 deg number for a single coat... it would be of almost no real world benefit to apply 2 further layers to get to 153 - both instances would look the same without a tool to actually measure the contact angles. So really expensive and with no real world benefit to layer based on those results.


Was waiting for your reply Ben always interesting :thumb:

yes real world is different to lab test and is offten always tested on glass which often give better results than on paint so looks better for manufacture to sell the product but the info does go to show that these can be layered there are plenty of these kind of reports around read loads of them myself even been to a labs and seen weather testing machines etc I do know your knowledge does exceed mine and respect that. there are so many equations from carry oils quanity of sol gel etc i dont think there can ever be a best product as people will always have there own mind but the higher the contact angle it seems the more self cleaning so for my own benifit if i had the time to do them extra two coats i would


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

Mr. Gum
Hope this doesn't sound rude, but who are you?

I ask because you reply to many threads of this nature with a wealth of theoretical knowledge but I've never read a post by you regarding any detailing done by yourself. My curiosity got the better of me and I see when you posted on this forum at the beginning of the year you asked the question "what is a nano wash" This is infact the only thread you have ever started so I hope you can understand my opening question.


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## Goodfella36 (Jul 21, 2009)

S63 said:


> Mr. Gum
> Hope this doesn't sound rude, but who are you?
> 
> I ask because you reply to many threads of this nature with a wealth of theoretical knowledge but I've never read a post by you regarding any detailing done by yourself. My curiosity got the better of me and I see when you posted on this forum at the beginning of the year you asked the question "what is a nano wash" This is infact the only thread you have ever started so I hope you can understand my opening question.


Ben does have couple of people in his family with some great knowledge as well as himself

Ben would you class a shampoo with SI02 ingredient as a nano shampoo

Also have you ever looked in to increasing the dyne of the paint i know this can be done by plasma at great expense but also by NaOH


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

Goodfella36 said:


> Ben does have couple of people in his family with some great knowledge as well
> 
> Ben would you glass a shampoo with SI02 ingredient as a nano shampoo


I am all the more intrigued :thumb:


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

Ben Gum said:


> I haven't been into detailing all that long and the truth is that I am more interested in the science than taking a load of pictures - I'll leave that to all you other guys who do it so well!
> 
> This forum has been something of an eye opener for me, I started just posting occasionally after Ben Jr. (who is incidentally the real Ben) got me reading. My links to industrial chemistry have been at a theoretical level for most of my career so I will admit to having been somewhat astounded at some of the practices. As you will probably notice, I have posted repeatedly on such matters concerned that somewhere between my scientific counterparts and their sales colleagues, information is being lost or ignored.
> 
> Anyhow, as you have undoubtedly also noticed, people rarely listen to me unless it supports their existing views so it is just as well I am familiar with this same thing in the scientific world - higher doctorate or O-level failing toilet cleaner, I have learnt that people are bloody stubborn!! :tumbleweed:


Your undoubted knowledge is way above my head and I guess many others too, put some of that scientific know how into action and probably more people will listen :thumb:


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Great Thread and input from Ben and Lee! :thumb:

Keep the info coming please guys so we can make an informed choice! 

Thanks,

Alan W


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## PootleFlump (Jan 1, 2006)

I must say I've never heard of a ceramic car protection product. To me ceramic is generally pottery and involves high temperature to set so not sure how a car protection product can be ceramic unless it involves some sort of oven hardening.


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## PootleFlump (Jan 1, 2006)

Or clever marketting


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## MatthewADV (Jan 18, 2012)

On a side note, these products really need better directions when it comes to PPE.

Not a single company can give long term health advice, what do these products do to your lungs, eyes, kidneys as they get absorbed as you use them.

Only one company I have asked has said they advise a full suit, long gloves and a full face air fed mask when applying their products.


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## MatthewADV (Jan 18, 2012)

One of the most common things when someone buys a new product (to them) "I smelt it".

Think of the damage that these coatings (all the "nano" coatings, wheel cleaners etc) are doing to your lungs, eyes etc

Being in an enclosed space (car interior) whilst applying a cloth "sealant" and the majority of people dont wear a mask, and if they do its a really cheap dust mask.

More needs to be done by the makers of said chemicals, the re-sellers of the products and of course this forum as a whole.


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## mattyslk (Jul 28, 2012)

adetailedvalet said:


> One of the most common things when someone buys a new product (to them) "I smelt it".
> 
> Think of the damage that these coatings (all the "nano" coatings, wheel cleaners etc) are doing to your lungs, eyes etc
> 
> ...


I whole heartedly agree. Some traders/ manufacturers make the MSDS easily accessible, however I can't imagine 10% of consumers read these prior to use. I know some of the chemicals discussed on here would certainly not be allowed in the workplace.


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## mkv (Jun 12, 2008)

adetailedvalet said:


> On a side note, these products really need better directions when it comes to PPE.
> 
> Not a single company can give long term health advice, what do these products do to your lungs, eyes, kidneys as they get absorbed as you use them.
> 
> Only one company I have asked has said they advise a full suit, long gloves and a full face air fed mask when applying their products.


Yes, but is it another of those cases where if you actually look deeply into, that you would need to ingest litres of the stuff before it became a problem and not limited exposure, which we are talking about here.
We all know the hysteria that surrounds H&S.


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## MatthewADV (Jan 18, 2012)

Isnt that what they said about smoking and asbestos?

But if people don't want to ask/care then its their lungs/eyes etc.

As Ben says, as soon as you mention PPE etc, threads go down hill which is a shame.


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

look at the fuss over getting data sheets from wolfs


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## mkv (Jun 12, 2008)

adetailedvalet said:


> Isnt that what they said about smoking and asbestos?
> 
> But if people don't want to ask/care then its their lungs/eyes etc.
> 
> As Ben says, as soon as you mention PPE etc, threads go down hill which is a shame.


Thats why I asked the question......It wasnt to degarde the thread... Purely a question.
I agree, if people dont heed the warning then its on them..


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

adetailedvalet said:


> as soon as you mention PPE etc, threads go down hill which is a shame.


I like to keep Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) out of these threads too.


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

mkv said:


> Yes, but is it another of those cases where if you actually look deeply into, that you would need to ingest litres of the stuff before it became a problem and not limited exposure, which we are talking about here.
> We all know the hysteria that surrounds H&S.


With some stuff yes, with other products, well, I think a few would be shocked. It is worth asking the question regardless though, what's the worst that can happen?


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## Tips (Mar 27, 2011)

stangalang said:


> what's the worst that can happen?


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## stangalang (Nov 27, 2009)

:lol: exactly


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## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

I have to admit this is one of the most interesting threads i have read for some while. What people must realise that buzz words often get latched onto and used without proper realisation of what it is. Wording can be gotten round and it seams that teh level of misleading has reached an epidemic scale. I know from our very limited playing around with nano products that tehy are not for general useage as it can pose a risk to the user if used inappropiatly. I have to admit that after tutting at an certain manufacturer who harped on about documentation they were right even if the manner in which they conducted themselves was wrong. but thats another thread. 

As said and I have to admit Ben i really would love to have a good chat with you, as I say it would be an interesting conversation as you put yourself across as having an extensive knowledge in teh field and a level head which are two traits I like. 

I know with our glass repellant we are developing, it cannot be layered and is a full nano coating and would be supplied with appropiate PPE if it was ever to be released for general useage. its very handy as when working on glass you can see bits that have been missed and these can be filled in so to say by reapplting more product and the additional product does not bond to any existing coating already on the glass. 

I know I have harped on for some time about PPE when detailing but people think that it smells nice so it must be ok. Some companies do dilute so far that the product will not cause harm but a realisation that if a product can withstand the elements for several years that some precaution must be needed when applying it even if the manufactuer does not state it. 

For me I would really like to see more due dilligance with products I know from nearly a year of research we are still not totally happy with a retail nano product I have seen research documents from a product that is in trial with a German manufacturer that is applied after paint and before assembly meaning it can be properly baked to the exact temperature on the paint line in an oven. not really doable on your dirveway?

Now on the flip side, a retail home application product is realistic and available but I really do not see the durability that is stated being achieved with real world driving, also as mentioned impact damage can be increased with some products and the associated need for PPE when using ALL chemical products.


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## Aristan (May 4, 2011)

Can this product is necessary?
Ceramic Lait, Ceramic Pro protection? 
http://en.nano-shine.su/ 
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Ceramic
pro&oq=Ceramic pro&gs_l=youtube.3.
0l10.6217.9443.0.13383.6.6.0.0.0.0.1377.2538.7-2.2.0... 0.0...
1ac.1.MWgzyqM_pkE


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