Ferrous
Metal -
·
Light colored vehicles: Small rust orange dots with black in
centre of stain.
·
Dark colored vehicles: Small white or silver dots with a
"rainbow hue" around the particle. The surface will also feel rough
to the touch.
Industrial
Fallout
·
The surface feels rough to the touch and may exhibit crystalline
deposits.
·
Usually ferrous metal is present, as well as water spots.
Acid Rain
·
Surface will exhibit irregular discoloured spotting.
·
Dark colored vehicles will show cloudy or grey spots where the
acids have started to etch the paint.
Detailer’s
Clay vs. Decontamination
Be cognizant that there
are two types of paint contamination, above surface and below surface. Before the advent of detailer’s clay it was a
common practice to remove paint-overspray with a one-sided razor blade and a
surface lubricant or by polishing the surface with a compound / polish and a
wool pad.
a) Detailer's
clay - removes paint
surface contaminants i.e. it abrades the top section of an iron particle,
leaving what is below the paint surface to remain. Once water and heat
(reactivity) is added the below surface particulates act as a conduit and the
corrosion process is started.
Detailer’s
clay is essentially a malleable applicator that contains suspended abrasive
particles, used with a surface lubricant it aquaplanes across the paint surface
and removes surface contaminants by abrasion and then encapsulation by the
malleable polymer and was originally formulated to remove paint overspray; it
is also useful for removing surface contaminants that have bonded to the paint.
Detailer’s
clay was originally formulated to remove paint overspray; it is also useful for
removing surface contaminants that have bonded to the paint surface. It gained
its reputation as a decontamination method because it was mistakenly believed
that it ‘pulled’ brake / rail dust iron particulates from the paint surface.
Detailer’s clay contains abrasives that will only shear any brake dust
particles leaving what is below the paint surface to remain. Once water and
heat (reactivity) is added the corrosion process is started.
.
b) Paint decontamination systems were developed as a method of removing
ferrous contamination beyond what can be removed by washing or claying alone.
The only way to completely remove sintered (heat fused) ferrous iron particles
is with a dedicated decontamination system that opens up the paint's micro
pores to release iron particles and to neutralize the caustic compounds that
have developed as a result of the particle. In one step, you can eliminate both
the cause and its effects. Ongoing damage is immediately stopped and future
damage is prevented by completely removing the ferrous particles.
Detailers Clay
Detailer’s
clay is made from Polybutene; it was originally invented and patented in Japan
in 1987. Tadao Kadate is generally acknowledged as the inventor of automotive
clay resin for the removal of paint over-spray.
It is formulated with mild abrasives, a common misconception about using
detailer’s clay is that it pulls contaminants from the paint, and if this were
true there would be no need for it to be abrasive. Be cognizant the using a
clay bar can actually add minor imperfections in your paint so it's always best
to follow up with a polish to remove any clay induced micro-marring.
First used by Japanese auto manufacturers on vehicle production
lines and then auto body repair shops, the technology was passed on to the US
market in the late ‘90’s. Detailer's clay is now routinely used by OEM's,
professional detailer's, vehicle auctions and body shops as a simple, safe way
to remove paint overspray, tree sap and industrial fallout from both vehicle
paint and chrome and glass surfaces
Corrosion
Detailer's clay and
decontamination are two different processes. The abrasives 'shear' the surface
contaminates, the sheared particles are then encapsulated by the clay (i.e. the
top of the metallic particle leaving the rest embedded in the paint, which acts
as a conduit for moisture to the various paint layers, allowing it to continue
generating corrosion damage
While clay products
are useful for removing paint overspray (this is what the product was
originally formulated for) and cleaning surface contaminants, it cannot
permeate and deep clean the pores of the paint. So unless a paint
decontamination system is used; heat and moisture will react with the metallic
particle and continue the corrosion process
Brake dust or rail
dust is very small, almost microscopic particles of steel, iron or their
alloys. These particles carry a positive charge (due to friction) while the
vehicles they land on are carrying a negative charge. The vehicle surface
becomes a magnet, attracting and bonding the ferrous metal particles to the
vehicle’s paint surfaces.
The corrosive
chemical compounds generated then proceed to etch (corrode) the clear coat, the
metallic particles (brake dust) penetrate and act as a conduit spreading the
corrosives through the paint film system (and the sheet metal), which results
in erosion of the paint surface, that shows on the surface as tiny rust spots
(rust blooms)
Environmental damage
to paint comes in a varied range of threats; acid rain, road salt, tree sap,
hydrazine an extremely active acid that is found in jet fuel, industrial
fallout, ultra violet radiation (UV) and other airborne contaminants are very
detrimental to a vehicles paint film surface. They are all forms of
environmental contamination and given the right catalyst; reactivity (heat)
plus moisture, they will become acidic. During this process the metal absorbs
oxygen from the water and forms iron oxide (rust).
Given the porosity of paint they permeate the
paint matrix down to body metal.
Although
present on all paint surfaces, sintered brake / rail dust is most noticeable on
light coloured paint surfaces, especially white. These contaminants are
invisible to the naked eye, once they start to oxidise, and turn orange; this
is when the problem will be brought to your attention, even on brand new
vehicles.
Stages of
Corrosive Paint Damage
Stage One- Iron
particulates causing surface staining leading to substrate corrosion
Stage Two -
Contaminants have permeated the paint matrix causing discoloration and
corrosion damage
Stage
Three - Particulates and corrosive compounds causing severe damage to
the paints resin (binder) system
Signs of Paint Surface
Contamination
•
Dark coloured specks
•
Brown or Orange (rust) coloured stains or specks
•
Yellow stains
•
Small metal coloured flecks
•
Rough texture
•
‘Water spots’ or marks
•
Surface etching
•
Oxidation
•
Paint ‘stains
In this
case, paint care not only serves aesthetics, but also helps preserve the
vehicle and its resale value
Post Decontamination / Neutralization
a)
Post Decontamination or surface contamination removal: P21S® Total Auto Wash, can be diluted solution
3:1 and
contains surfactant detergents and d-limonene (citrus oil) a
biodegradable cleaner that can also be used for the removal of tree sap, bug spatters,
bird droppings, engine degreaser, wheel wells, rocker panels, floor mats and
other grimy areas, this safe solvent cleaner will ensure a there are no surface
contaminants
b)
Neutralization: ValuGard Acid
Neutralizer
(part of their decontamination system) that is a blend of acids, including
Potassium hydroxide, which deep cleans painted surfaces to remove alkaline
deposits and safely dissolves the alkaline salt particles bond with the paint
so that they can be rinsed away. Diluted 1:8 and allow product to remain in
place for 5-7 minutes (do not allow product drying on paint surface). Rinse
thoroughly and then dry paint surface
Acidic Contaminants Identification
Vehicle manufacturer
studies have shown that failure to remove environmental contaminants (like
imbedded rail dust, acid rain, industrial fallout and other environmental
contaminants) from paint film can cause premature degradation of the paint
system. While clay products are useful for overspray, they cannot deep clean
the surface and pores of the paint. This can only be accomplished through a
thorough chemical cleaning and acid neutralization.
Surface contaminants
Based upon studies carried
out by PPG, DuPont, BASF and Sherwin Williams, the average vehicle's paint
system will absorb up to a pint of water into the substrate when subjected to
rain or a car wash.
Superficially-adhered surface contaminants as
the name implies sit above the surface of the paint.
These contaminants become
imbedded in the clear coat when the paint is subjected to heat radiation; they
comprise; paint residue (oxidation) tree sap and resin, bituminous asphalt
(road tar) particles of road dirt (grit) and grime, carbon emissions from
catalytic converters, bird excrement, calcium, tar, oil, hard water deposits,
calcium or any pollutant type substance that adheres to your paint surface,
sometimes invisible the naked eye.
As they are subject
to greater abrasive forces than the surrounding surfaces when a surface prep towel
is rubbed over them, they are abraded away and removed. You may be questioning at this point will the
abrasives in the towel affect the surrounding paint. This can be considerably
lessened by selecting the appropriate
abrasive level and using a suitable lubricant. But be aware that the surface
prep towel may induce surface scratches that should be removed by polishing
Given that some contaminant
residue (acid rain, industrial fallout,
sintered brake or rail dust) are usually highly acidic and / or will
permeate a paint surface, it makes far more sense to remove them chemically and
neutralize the paint surface rather than by using an abrasive polish, as
dissolving them using a paint decontamination system and then rinsing them away
virtually eliminates the risk of causing surface scratches.
Some Decontamination Products
2. Optimum
Technologies - Ferrex
3. CarPro –
IronX
4. Nanoskin Surface Prep
Towel
Always be
willing to learn; because the more you learn, the more you’ll realize what you
don’t know.
It is said that knowledge is power, with the caveat that
it includes access to a reliable information sources. I would like to think that these articles become an asset to
anyone who is new to detailing and to professional’s alike, as well as industry
experts who seek to advance their knowledge.
I hope the
article are informative. By having some understanding of the ‘What’ and ‘Why’
as well as the ‘How’ along with a little science to help you understand how the
chemicals we use react, you can achieve the results you desire.
I would appreciate it if you would share
these articles as it helps other detailers further their knowledge.
Questions and/ or constructive comments
are always appreciated.
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