PPG CeramiClear™ ®

In 2002, PPG introduced the first scratch resistant clear coat (CeramiClear™) to the automotive marketplace. Since then, scratch resistant clear coats have rapidly become the standard in the automotive industry.

PPG leads the market in offering a variety of scratch resistant clear coat technologies that not only meet the rigorous requirements of automotive manufacturing facilities worldwide, but also help vehicles retain a showroom-like finish for a longer period of time. The result: greater satisfaction with consumers, as they enjoy the look of their vehicles for a longer period of time.

CeramiClear™ ®Clear coat

PPG's CeramiClear™ ®clear coat was the first clear coat to use nanoparticle technology to achieve a previously unattained level of scratch, mar, and etch resistance. This patented technology creates a hard, silica-like surface that provides superior resistance to damage caused by day-to-day use, car washes, and environmental hazards such as acid rain and tree sap.

While this technology is currently employed as a two-component liquid clear coat, PPG is very close to commercializing a one-component version for use in automotive assembly plants. Are applied as a final coating over a traditional clear coat, and has an approximate thickness of 7.5 µ (0.5 Mil) this top layer also contains the paint systems UV protection. On Mercedes -Benz models that have CeramiClear™ ®paint there is a ‘C’ prefix to the three number paint codes. If the code reads"C040" you have black nanotech paint

PPG's CeramiClear™ ®clear coat was the first clear coat to use nanoparticle technology to achieve a previously unattained level of scratch, mar, and etch resistance. This patented technology creates a hard ( fumed silica used for increasing paint hardness) silica-like surface that provides superior resistance to damage caused by day-to-day use, car washes, and environmental hazards such as acid rain and tree sap. While this technology is currently employed as a two-component liquid clear coat, PPG is very close to commercializing a one-component version for use in automotive assembly plants.

This was the reasoning behind CeramiClear™ ® – [PPG Industries Inc (2004) ceramic clear coat is unmatched in scratch, surface marring and acid-etching resistance as well as gloss retention. Test results have shown that after a period of six months gloss retention shows an 80% improvement and acid-etching resistance is 50% better compared to that of a non-ceramic clear coat. They have also developed an aftermarket refinishing clear coat to provide approximately the same level of protection as the OEM ceramic clear coat.]

DuPont's SupraShield™, PPG's Optech™ and CeramiClear™ ® Clear Coat are all binary clear coat compositions using ceramic particles designed to offer long-term scratch resistance, gloss and durability and is applied as a final coating over a traditional clear coat, CeramiClear™ ® has an approximate thickness of 7.5 µ (0.5 Mil) this top layer also contains the paint systems ultra violet (UV ) protection.

[After the CeramiClear™ ® top coat is sprayed, the nano particles of Fumed Silica (SiO2), which are synthetically engineered, migrate to the top 5 µ (micron) (0.2 Mil) of the clear coat as it is curing.

If you remove this portion of the clear layer of paint, the paint under it will be much softer and will not polish out or react the same way the nano particle portion did or would] - Dr. David Ghodoussi

PPG CeramiClear™ ® Clear Coat now comes in two commercial versions: CeramiClear™, a two-component clear coat, and Certech, a single component clear coat.

PPG Industries have also developed an aftermarket refinishing clear coat to provide approximately the same level of protection as the OEM CeramiClear™ ® Clear Coat nanotechnology paint.

PPG Industries Inc and Menzerna collaborated in the formulation of an aftermarket abrasive polish specifically for removing surface imperfections like scratches and paint defects for the CeramiClear™ ® Clear Coat.

PPG introduced an OEM version of CeramiClear™ ®clear coat in 2003 for Mercedes-Benz. The refinish version of CeramiClear™ ®clear coat, D8126 for use with the Global Refinish System, was released the following year and won the Gold award at the International Grand Prix for Technical Innovation in Europe in 2005, recognizing expertise and technical excellence in the vehicle equipment sector.

Both versions of the refinish CeramiClear™ ®clear coat, Deltron DC4125 and D8126, perform to the same standards as the OEM finish. Both are unparalleled in scratch, mar and acid-etch resistance and retention of gloss," said Randy Cremeans, manager, collision segments, North America, for PPG Automotive Refinish. PPG's technical team in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, specifically developed tougher durability tests for OEM CeramiClear™, because no automotive coating had achieved this level of mar resistance before.

DC4125 is designated for use with PPG's DBC and DBU Refinish Systems, and it is designed for the repair of cars that have a CeramiClear™ ® OEM finish. High-solids clear, it meets all current VOC limits and is suitable for use in Southern California Districts. DC4125 is formulated for use with DCH4126 CeramiClear™ ®Hardener. (Source SpecialChem)

It is important to note that manufacturer-approved paint suppliers vary by country as each country (and even province/state) has their own environmental laws that collision centres must adhere to. For example in the UK, Standox, Spies Hecker, and BASF are the approved paint suppliers for Mercedes-Benz collision centres; in the US, it is PPG, BASF, and Standox. In Canada, only BASF and Standox are the approved paint suppliers and you will find only one or the other at any authorized Mercedes-Benz collision centre

Abrasive Polishing

Working with PPG, BASF and Mercedes Benz, Menzerna 2003 developed special polishes for use on PPG CeramiClear™ Clear Coat for removing scratches, swirls and paint defects Beyond superior abrasives, Menzerna has pioneered the development of polishes designed specifically for the hard clear coats, like those used by General Motors on the Corvette and PPG CeramiClear™ Clear Coat being used by Mercedes Benz. Super Intensive and Nanotechnology Polish are currently used by Mercedes - Benz in Germany on their production line to remove swirls and over-spray incurred during the painting process.

 A unique family of abrasives developed by Menzerna allows these polishes to remove defects, even on brand new paint finishes, with no loss of surface gloss and no micro-marring. The abrasives are just one factor in the equation; lubricants, solvents, emulsion and their carrier system will determine the actual functional ability of the polish

Super Intensive Polish (SIP), Power Finish (PO203S) and Nano Polish (FG4000) these polishes contain nanotechnology  ceramic micro particle diminishing abrasives, that are milled as fine as 0.3 µ (micron) and /also contain a higher abrasive content, 7% whereas the other polishes contain 3% abrasives

Beyond superior abrasives, Menzerna has pioneered the development of polishes designed specifically for the hard clear coats, like those used by General Motors on the Corvette and PPG CeramiClear™ ® Clear Coat being used by Ferrari and Mercedes- Benz.

Super Intensive and Nanotechnology Polish are currently used by Mercedes - Benz in Germany on their production line to remove swirls and over-spray incurred during the painting process. Some OEM paint specification require a dense (hard) clear coat paint- Audi, BMW, Nissan and VW and others

Modern automotive paint systems of whatever density pose unique challenges to the detailer, to determine the correct polish/and pad combination, machine methodology. This requires a ‘test panel’ to see how the selected polish set-up responses to the paint, and wither it will remove the surface scratches

Select a ‘typical’ 18 x 18 – inch area -one that represents the type of defects that you want to remove and starting with the least abrasive polish and / pad combination and then proceed until the defects are removed.

This is the polish / pad combination you’ll need to use. Selecting the correct pad / polish combination for the vehicles paint / defects can take just as long as the paint correction process