Carnauba on its Final Leg??!!!

What I have always found interesting is the way the â€Ëœlookâ€â„¢ of each product is described and I do realize that looks are very subjective.



a) Quote: I have always described Carnauba show car waxes as having a "warm" look. I believe it is the distortion that creates this effect. DavidB



Quote: Souveran enhances all colors but is stunning on dark color vehicles. Reds radiate energy. Blacks take on the shimmer of an infinitely deep pool. Carnauba car waxes tend to produce a deeper, darker, richer shine that is often described as âہ“three-dimensionalâ€Â�. CMA website



b) Quote: Made from modern polymers and acrylic resins, synthetic waxes offer maximum durability and ease of application. Synthetic waxes can last six to nine months or longer and typically wipe on and buff off with very little effort. These waxes, sometimes called sealants, create a very bright shine and are resistant to clouding and streaking. Klasse All-In-One, Autoglym Super Resin Polish, Liquid Glass, Meguiarâ€â„¢s No. 20 Polymer Sealant, and Stoner Polish & Seal are all in this synthetic family of waxes.



On the down side, many enthusiasts feel synthetic waxes lack depth and richness. Black cars can look a sterile silvery-white in direct sunlight. And, the mirror-like polymers can collect in minor swirls and actually highlight paint flaws. CMA website.



This along with a â€Ëœplastic look reminiscent of saran wrapâ€â„¢ is the most often used description of a polymer sealant. For many concourse judges whoâ€â„¢s guidelines include a paint surfaceâ€â„¢s colour, depth and clarity Iâ€â„¢ll stay with a polymer for protection and a Carnauba for â€Ëœlooksâ€â„¢.



It is said that in the 1800 a carriage maker developed a wax based on animal fats to protect the black lacquer type paint that was applied to horse drawn carriages. And ever since chemists have been trying to imitate the â€Ëœlookâ€â„¢ it produces. â€ËœCarnauba on its Final Leg? Perhaps, but there are no serious contenders on the horizon ...yet.



JonM



FWIW-âہ“ I believe it is the distortion that creates this effect.â€Â� Iâ€â„¢d never thought much about this before but wax molecules form an egg-grate type mesh on a paint surface, I guess they do not have a 100% uniform shape, so as light is reflected it gives a rippled (distorted) look to it.
 
I thought the article by David was very well-written and thorough into the explanation of the downfall of carnauba waxes. However, as a regular carnauba wax user, I found it to unforunately be somewhat of a "sobering" wake-up call of what the future will be for some of my most beloved products.



I wouldn't let such an article get me down or make me think differently about how I approach detailing. When you think about it, just because something is old or outdated doesn't mean that there still won't be a following for it. Some folks out there just like tried-and-true processes that they know will give them the results they are looking for. I, for one, happen to be one of those people.



Companies can keep shoving new products in my face that boast such qualities as "advanced", "synthethic", or "cutting-edge", but I'll always keep going back to the products that have never failed on me. Just because something is "new" or "high-tech" doesn't mean that it is the end-all-be-all.



So is carnauba wax really "dead"? I wouldn't say so, such a word is too harsh for a product that has and keeps performing well to most detailing standards. I think a more appropriate word would be "outdated". It's a product that has matured well in terms of the product life cycle, and the market demands new products that live up to new expecatations of what consumers want in a product.



Will carnauba ever make a comeback? Well, not on a grand scale, but there always is that niche of the market that likes to go "old-school". :wavey
 
Black Z28-gotta agree with you-older carnaubas tend to be a touch hazy in regard to reflections compared to the new synthetics-you might not notice unless you have them side by side-i found it interesting that Megs cleaner wax was formulated in 1973 and has synthetic ingredients in it-this has been a long time in the making
 
David...With the new VOC Regs, do you see the Autopia store reducing its carnauba inventory and offerings? Being in Cali, I can see that carrying a lot of sealants making good business sense.
 
Well, I guess I'm old school. I never thought I'd use a sealant on a car. As it got colder last Fall, I decided that I needed to do something because I couldn't wash the car frequently.



So I tried AIO & KSG. I found I really like the way it looks on my silver car. Over the winter I added a few more layers of KSG. It really seemed to get better and better.



Last Saturday, I topped the KSG with S100. It was about dark, so I couldn't tell much difference.



Since then it's rained most of the time. Is that what people mean when they say Carnuba makes a car look wet? :)
 
Some enterprising chemist is sure to come up with a DELIVERY system which complies with the VOC just due to the market pressure to keep Carnauba waxes around. It was just convenient in the past to use solvents to deliver the product. Who knows what might come out of this developement. No rule exists where carnauba cannot be used in an emulsion NOT solvent based.... Just change the chemistry a bit.I remember Blue Coral, it was a very hard carnauba, difficult to buff out. Had to use a wet towel to finish it off to where there were no wax swirls. This was not an easy product to use at all, but there was a market for it. It came in a shoe polish type of consistency(and container). Other waxes were soft compared to the Coral. My point is, that all things considered, I think there will always be a product to fill a need, or desire. What we see now is ease of use has become an important factor in marketing. The old school had no sealants, but the look was great anyway.



[Edit] I should add, I am for everything..... All products have a use ! I dont want to appear to be bashing Sealants, synthetics, or Carnauba wax.... This is a great hobby for me and I love to try all sorts of things. I have some nostalgia for the old school and mourn the passing of some products, such as , Blue Coral Kits. They were not easy to use, but they did make me feel like I accomplished something special after I was done. (another old school product- Heet Linament- Heh Heh !)
 
mochamanz said:




What we see now is ease of use has become an important factor in marketing. The old school had no sealants, but the look was great anyway.



Click to expand...



I think the trend is towards laziness. I think the synthetics seem "easier" to use. Supposedly they "last longer".



These are traits that appeal to lazy people.



Does it look better? Who cares? It looks "good enough" and it's "easier".



I use Meguiar's NXT on one car and #16 on the other. The NXT is waaaaaay easier to use than #16 but the #16 car looks more beautiful and the #16 seems to last longer.



There are lazy people and there are obsessed people. There will always be products for both.
 
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