Are you looking for a way to protect your automotive paint surface? Have you already tried waxes and sealants? Unlike ceramic and graphene coatings, these products offer short-term protection that lasts a few months instead of years.
Nevertheless, auto owners face a significant dilemma of whether to choose graphene or ceramic coating for their vehicles. The former is a newer technology, while the latter has been used for decades. In spite of being a new technology, graphene has earned the trust of many car owners due to its amazing water spot resistance, remarkable durability, and ease of application.
If interested in buying such a product, look at the main differences between both coatings.
What is ceramic coating?
These coatings are made from silicon dioxide, which is usually derived from quartz crystals. When combined with other chemicals, they produce a sort of liquid that forms a clear-hard layer when applied to cars. They rely on nanotechnology to create a layer of protection on top of an auto’s paint. Read more about the structure, uses, production, chemical reactions, and safety of silicon dioxide.
Ceramic layers bond to a vehicle’s surface owing to nanoparticles, allowing the layer to adhere at a molecular level, which results in sealing all pores. Such coatings offer remarkable longevity and paint protection.
What is graphene coating?
This material is carbon-based and performs excellently in many areas like water spot resistance. It’s considered the next-generation solution of paint protection, as its strength and thinness are incomparable to other materials. Graphene is basically a substance made of carbon atoms, which is remarkably thin but surprisingly tough, stronger than diamond.
Moreover, graphene is classified among the thinnest materials because of its unique atom structure. As opposed to car wax, it provides much better longevity. While auto waxes usually last two to three weeks, graphene coatings last between five and ten years with a single application. These cannot be washed off like traditional waxes but require machine polishing to be removed completely.
Comparison
After learning some basic info about ceramic and graphene coatings, now it’s time to make a detailed comparison between these materials. There are numerous factors to consider in the process of comparison, such as durability, application, hydrophobicity, gloss and finish, tendency to create water spots, slickness, availability, and cost.
Durability
Regarding durability, both graphene and ceramic coatings have proven incredible durability of at least a few years. Hence, plenty of vehicle owners stopped using waxes and sealants, which offer several months instead of several years of protection. Normally, there are different grades of such coatings, which last differently.
In general, the former claims better durability of a minimum of five years to a maximum of ten years. Conversely, the latter is claimed to last between two and five years. The winner in the category of durability is unquestionably graphene. Check out this page, https://www.sciencealert.com/graphene, to gain more information about the properties and discovery of this material.
Application
The following aspect of comparison is the ease of application. Plenty of prep work should be invested prior to the application of both products. Hence, professionals are usually hired to complete the job in temperature-controlled conditions. Before applying any of these coatings, you need a bare paint surface.
The prepping process requires thorough washing, decontamination, and polishing. The chosen coating is applied with a special applicator by working in small sections. The flash time refers to the period between the application and the time when the layer is ready to be wiped off. Temperature and humidity play an important role, as they are capable of speeding up the flash time.
Once the entire application process is over, the surface should be wiped with microfiber towels of premium quality. The first wipe tends to remove about eighty percent of the residue, whereas the second wipe is supposed to eliminate leftovers. There is not much difference between both coatings in view of the application, as the procedure is relatively similar.
Hydrophobicity
Another aspect of consideration when comparing graphene and ceramic products is hydrophobicity. While both coatings are claimed to make water roll off quickly, the former is thought to have a better water contact angle of 110-118˚ compared to the water contact angle of 100-110˚ of ceramic products. In other words, water has lower chances to stay on the surface.
In addition, the exact water-repellency of both materials depends on their quality. For instance, you will find ceramic products with better water-repellency than graphene ones and vice versa. Consequently, they are both considered sufficiently hydrophobic.
Gloss and finish
As far as gloss and finish are concerned, both graphene and ceramic coatings offer a cold-looking finish to paintwork, which resembles that of sealants. They don’t provide the warm finish typical for the carnauba wax. The gloss and finish offered by these products look even more amazing when the paint of an auto has been prepped properly.
Water spotting
Another aspect of comparison is the tendency of these products to cause water spots. The water spot resistance of ceramic and graphene coatings goes in favor of the latter. The former frequently suffers from water spots, especially when a vehicle has been sitting out long enough under rainfall.
Graphene is claimed to lower the surface temperature, meaning water won’t evaporate too quickly, and water beads will roll off the next time you drive your car. While the water won’t stay on the vehicle forever, car owners have more time to deal with water beads before they turn into spots.
Slickness
Slickness is very important when comparing graphene and ceramic products, as it’s crucial for keeping the car clean. The slicker the surface, the more easily it is for muddy water and dirt to slide off. Once again, the slickness depends on the quality of the product you purchase. Some manufacturers offer super-slick products, whereas others sacrifice this aspect.
In conclusion
Both products are fairly similar in their auto benefits and outperform waxes and sealants.
The ultimate decision is nobody’s but yours!
