Menzerna

B

Bluedog

New member
i never wuite understood what the words acrylic and polymer really ment. im getting a faint idea of what they mean simply by the words definition but im still a bit confused. so what do these words really mean when describing a wax/sealant?
 
Preluder, what are you still doing up?! :)



My feeble understanding of it is as follows. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong:



In the strictest sense, acrylic is a type of polymer. A polymer just refers to a chain of repeating molecules. Plexiglass & nylon are polymers. In the detailing world, polymers are put in traditional waxes to provide glossiness (like Pinnacle Paste Glaze). Polymers in synthetics like Zaino bond with each other as well as to your car's paint. This bonding is the infamous curing process that's so often discussed here in this forum. However, the polymers in traditional waxes do not bond to each other. They just stay suspended in the wax and shine up your car. I'm pretty sure the polymers used in traditional waxes vs. synthetics are very different.
 
It is found in paints, etc. There are many different types of polymers. Polymerization occurs when straight chains of hydrocarbons crosslink into larger chains. Usually the ave molecular weight (chain size) determines the properties for that polymer.....melting point, tensile strength, elasticity,etc,etc,etc. Different compounds also contribute to the properties of the system.



Acrylic polymers for auto products were developed years ago on the same line as acrylic floor waxes. They were fine tuned and were among the first polymer products out there for automotive use. Silicone polymers followed shortly after. The problem with the older acrylics is that they absorbed UV light and tended to yellow over time. Klasse seemed to somehow solve this problem as no one has really noticed any yellowing on their cars. This is where the rumor on most carnuba marketing sites comes from that says eventually polymers yellow and have to be stripped and redone. They were talking about those older acrylics. There are not a lot of acrylics left on the market which should tell you something.
 
The old Blue Coral Touchless Acrylic was a good example of a yellowing acrylic. It yellowed, faded, and cracked on my vehicle. You applied it with a sponge paint brush. If you wanted to protect your car, this was the product. It was like you were applying another clear coat. Talk about a candy shine! But it had too many downfalls including those I already mentioned. It was very difficult to work with and impossible to remove. Rubbing or buffing was out of the question.
 
Impossible to work with. it streaked and ran down vertical surfaces and dried that way, and was very hard to remove. Very durable though.......too durable for me.
 
In layman's terms we use "wax" to describe any sort of shine/protective added tempory finish. I think there is a change in using the word "wax" for K, Z, or even BF in that you can use the term sealant to sound more "special" and different from just a "wax". It sounds to last longer and do more than just a wax, and it should cause it does. So when some asks me what kind of wax I use, I say Klasse, but I tell them it's an acrylic polymer sealant protectant, and they say "ooh" sarcasticly.
 
".....There are very few crosslinking polishes... Probably less than six on the market today...



For our purposes here in layman terms, these polymers are lab produced hydrocarbon based string like molecules which are capable of crosslinking or bonding together to produce a (microscopic) flexible chain-link fence type of weave. When applied to your car's clear coat, the synthetic polymers produce a flexible layer of protection..



This layer is very thin, but (because it is flexible) can expand and contract along with your car's sheet metal or in the corvette's case, SMC or other fiberglass composites and paint layers. It's also very tough and will out last most wax based products by at least 4 to 1.



Any and all Carnauba or other wax based products when exposed to repeated expansion and contraction (ie: heat of the day and engine heat) will develop tiny 'cracks' which grow, allowing the oils to leach out, and permit dirt to stick to the surface. This cycling effect also makes the wax system become unstable, decreasing gloss, water beading and paint protection..



Hope this helps..
 
We make 4 ourselves, and our plant makes around 30 different ones that we private label for other companies.



Cross linking is present anytime you got an amino or dimethal siloxane in the product.



Ketch

:eek:
 
FLONI and I went to the same english teacher .... He stuttered and had turets so the chalk hit the board a lot and ...looked...like periods....
 
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