Everything You Need To Know About Ceramic Coatings

Summary

This video explores the world of ceramic coatings with Expell, a company that offers realistic insights into the benefits and limitations of these coatings. The new product, Fusion Plus, is a silicon-based coating that bonds with car paint, providing a semi-permanent protective layer. The video clarifies misconceptions, details the application process, and demonstrates the hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties of the coating. It also discusses the compatibility of ceramic coatings with paint protection films, offering a dual-layer protection solution for vehicles.

Takeaways

• 🚗 Expell's Fusion Plus is a silicon-based ceramic coating that creates a bond with car paintwork, offering protection and ease of maintenance.
• 💡 Ceramic coatings are not a magic solution; they do not completely prevent scratches or eliminate the need for washing but provide real benefits like hydrophobic qualities and self-cleaning properties.
• 🔬 The product contains nanoparticles that form an inseparable bond with the car's paint, acting like a semi-permanent wax or sealant with a four-year warranty.
• 🛠️ Proper surface preparation is crucial before application; the paint should be clean and corrected to avoid sealing in swirls or scratches.
• 👨‍🔧 Fusion Plus is applied in sections with a dropper and micro suede towel, requiring a final wipe with a microfiber towel for a clear finish.
• 👷‍♂️ Professional installation is recommended for safety and to ensure correct application, avoiding issues like streaks or sealed dirt.
• 🚫 Post-application, avoid water for the first 24 hours and allow the coating to cure fully for four days to maximize gloss and protection.
• 🌧️ Ceramic coatings enhance the car's hydrophobic properties, making it easier to wash off dirt and water, but washing is still necessary.
• 🧪 Fusion Plus is compatible with paint protection films, adding an extra layer of protection without negating the film's self-healing properties.
• 🛡️ Paint protective films offer more substantial protection against rock chips and scratches compared to ceramic coatings, which focus on appearance and maintenance.
• 🔄 Regular maintenance is recommended, including washing with a 2-bucket method and applying a ceramic boost every 4 to 6 washes to maintain hydrophobic qualities.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about ceramic coatings, specifically the new product Fusion Plus by Expell, and the benefits and misconceptions associated with them.

What are some common misconceptions about ceramic coatings mentioned in the video?

Some common misconceptions include the belief that ceramic coatings can completely prevent scratches and rock chips, and that they eliminate the need for ever washing your car again.

What is the basic composition of Expell's Fusion Plus ceramic coating?

Fusion Plus is a silicon-based product with a carrier fluid containing nanoparticles that create an inseparable bond with the paintwork.

How does the duration of the four-year warranty on Expell's coating come to be?

The four-year warranty duration is set based on third-party accelerated wear testing.

What is the importance of paint condition before applying a ceramic coating?

The paint should be perfectly clean and any paint correction should be done beforehand, as ceramic coatings will not hide swirls or scratches but will seal them permanently.

Can ceramic coatings be applied directly to the paint or only on top of a paint protective film?

Ceramic coatings can be applied both directly to the paint and on top of a paint protective film, but the application process and requirements differ for each scenario.

What safety precautions are recommended during the application of ceramic coatings?

Safety precautions include skin and eye protection, as well as using an OSHA-approved ventilator if not working in a well-ventilated area.

Why does Expell Fusion Plus only allow for professional installation?

Professional installation ensures proper safety precautions, correct paint surface preparation, and accurate application to avoid issues like streaks, drips, or sealed dirt.

How does the curing process of the ceramic coating affect its appearance and properties?

During the curing process, which takes four days, the gloss of the finish increases, peaking in glossy appearance, and the coating becomes fully cured.

What is the self-cleaning characteristic of the ceramic coating as demonstrated in the video?

The self-cleaning characteristic means that dirt on the car's surface would rather stick to water droplets than the paint surface, allowing dirt to be blown off the car when it rains.

How does applying a ceramic coating affect the maintenance of a car?

Applying a ceramic coating makes washing the car significantly easier and eliminates the need to apply wax or sealant afterwards. However, the car still needs to be washed regularly.

Can ceramic coatings be applied over a paint protective film, and what are the benefits?

Yes, ceramic coatings can be applied over a paint protective film, providing the benefits of both the protective film's resistance to rock chips and scratches, and the ceramic coating's hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ Introduction to Ceramic Coatings

The video script introduces the topic of ceramic coatings, specifically focusing on Expell's new product, Fusion Plus. It clarifies misconceptions about the capabilities of ceramic coatings, such as preventing scratches or eliminating the need for car washing. Instead, it highlights the real benefits, including ease of maintenance, protection from environmental contaminants, and the glossy, hydrophobic qualities of these coatings. The script explains that ceramic coatings are like semi-permanent waxes or sealants, with Expell's product offering a four-year warranty. The application process is detailed, emphasizing the importance of a clean paint surface and proper application to avoid issues like streaks or sealed dirt. The video also discusses the difference between applying the coating directly to paint versus over a paint protective film, noting that the latter does not require paint correction.

05:01

🚗 Testing and Benefits of Ceramic Coatings

This paragraph delves into the practical demonstration and benefits of ceramic coatings. A test is conducted on a vehicle to show the reduced friction and enhanced hydrophobic properties of the coated surface compared to the uncoated side. The self-cleaning characteristic of the ceramic coating is illustrated, explaining how dirt is more likely to stick to water droplets than the paint, facilitating easier cleaning during rain. The script refutes the idea that a ceramic coating eliminates the need for washing, emphasizing that while washing is easier, it is still necessary. It also mentions the incompatibility of solvent-based products with ceramic coatings and suggests using isopropyl alcohol for stain removal. The video demonstrates the compatibility of ceramic coatings with paint protection films, showing that the coating does not negate the protective properties of the film and allows the self-healing feature of the film to function properly.

10:02

🔧 Conclusion on Ceramic Coatings and Protective Films

The final paragraph summarizes the key points about ceramic coatings, emphasizing their role in enhancing the depth and gloss of a car's paint, along with their hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. It reiterates that ceramic coatings are not a substitute for washing but make the process easier and eliminate the need for waxing. The script also clarifies the correct order of application for ceramic coatings and paint protective films, noting that a coating should be applied after the film for optimal benefits. The video concludes by thanking Expell for their partnership and providing information on how viewers can get Expell's ceramic coating installed on their vehicles, including a link to a dealer locator and additional details on pricing.

Keywords

💡Ceramic Coatings

Ceramic coatings are a type of protective layer applied to vehicle paintwork to provide a range of benefits, including ease of maintenance, protection from environmental elements, and a glossy appearance. In the video, ceramic coatings are the central theme, with a focus on their advantages such as hydrophobic qualities and self-cleaning properties, as well as dispelling misconceptions about their capabilities.

💡Expell

Expell is the company that has partnered with the video creator to discuss their product, Fusion Plus, a new ceramic coating. The video appreciates Expell for their realistic approach to explaining the benefits and limitations of ceramic coatings, setting accurate expectations for potential users.

💡Fusion Plus

Fusion Plus is Expell's new ceramic coating product. It is described as a silicon-based product with nanoparticles that bond with the paintwork to provide long-lasting protection. The video script details the application process and benefits of Fusion Plus, emphasizing its durability and ease of maintenance.

💡Hydrophobic

Hydrophobic refers to the water-repelling nature of a surface. In the context of the video, ceramic coatings, including Fusion Plus, are highlighted for their hydrophobic qualities, which allow water to bead up and roll off the surface, aiding in the self-cleaning process of the car.

💡Paint Protection Film

A paint protection film is a urethane layer applied to a vehicle's paint to protect it from scratches, chips, and other damage. The video discusses how ceramic coatings like Fusion Plus can be applied on top of paint protection films without compromising their protective properties, combining the benefits of both.

💡Self-Cleaning

Self-cleaning is a property of certain surfaces that allows them to shed dirt and grime more easily. The video demonstrates how the ceramic coating's self-cleaning characteristic means that dirt sticks to water droplets rather than the paint, which can then be washed away by rain or a simple wash.

💡Swirls and Scratches

Swirls and scratches refer to the circular marks and minor abrasions that can appear on a car's paintwork. The video clarifies that ceramic coatings do not hide these imperfections but instead seal them, making it crucial to have the paint in perfect condition before application.

💡Application Process

The application process for ceramic coatings is detailed in the video, describing how Fusion Plus is applied with a dropper to a micro suede towel and then wiped off once it begins to flash off. This process is crucial for the proper bonding and curing of the coating.

💡Curing

Curing in the context of coatings refers to the process by which the coating hardens and bonds to the paint surface. The video explains that after application, the ceramic coating needs to cure for several days, during which it is sensitive to water and requires protection from the elements.

💡2-Bucket Method

The 2-bucket method is a洗车 technique used to prevent dirt and debris from being rubbed back onto a car's paint while washing. The video recommends this method for maintaining the cleanliness of a car with a ceramic coating, emphasizing the continued need for proper car care even with advanced coatings.

💡Ceramic Boost

Ceramic Boost is a product mentioned in the video for maintaining the hydrophobic qualities of a ceramic coating. It is applied periodically after washing to refresh the coating's properties, demonstrating the ongoing care required to keep the coating effective.

Highlights

Expell's Fusion Plus is a silicon-based ceramic coating that creates an inseparable bond with car paint, lasting several years with a four-year warranty.

Ceramic coatings provide real benefits such as maintaining paint cleanliness, protection from environmental contaminants, and a glossy appearance.

Common misconceptions about ceramic coatings include the false claims that they can completely prevent scratches and eliminate the need for washing the car.

The application of ceramic coatings requires a clean paint surface and can be applied directly or over a paint protective film.

Ceramic coatings do not hide swirls or scratches; instead, they seal them permanently, emphasizing the importance of perfect paint condition before application.

Protective films can cover light swirls and scratches, unlike ceramic coatings, which require paint correction beforehand.

The application process of Fusion Plus involves using a dropper and micro suede towel, with specific techniques to avoid streaks and ensure even coverage.

Fusion Plus is only available for professional installation due to safety precautions and the complexity of the application process.

Proper surface preparation, including paint correction and cleanliness, is crucial for the successful application of ceramic coatings.

Environmental factors like humidity and temperature can affect the flash-off time during the application of ceramic coatings.

Ceramic coatings, when cured, can increase the gloss of the finish, peaking days after installation.

Ceramic coatings demonstrate self-cleaning properties, with dirt preferring to stick to water droplets rather than the paint surface.

Despite the hydrophobic qualities, ceramic coated cars still require regular washing and maintenance.

Ceramic coatings are compatible with paint protection films, offering the benefits of both without negating each other's properties.

The thin layer of ceramic coating allows the self-healing properties of underlying paint protection films to still function effectively.

Ceramic coatings can be applied to matte surfaces without significantly altering their appearance.

The order of application is important; ceramic coatings should be applied on top of paint protective films, not the other way around.

Expell provides a dealer locator for those interested in having their ceramic coating professionally installed.

The cost of ceramic coating installation varies based on paint correction, film coverage, and labor rates.

Transcripts

hello everyone and welcome in this video

we are learning all about ceramic

coatings this is all things to expell

who I've partnered with on the video to

learn about the ever-popular world of

coatings they've recently launched their

new product fusion plus and what I

appreciate about expell is that they're

very realistic about what ceramic

coatings can and cannot do if you

followed the ceramic coating craze

lately you may hear claims like these

coatings completely preventing scratches

and Rock chips or that you'll never need

to wash your car again not exactly

accurate but that's not to take away

from the very real benefits that these

coatings provide like the ease of

maintaining your paints cleanliness

protection from things like tree sap bug

guts and bird droppings the deep glossy

appearance and of course they're very

popular hydrophobic or water repelling

qualities so let's start with how it

works why it's useful and then get into

some of the more common misconceptions

expell ceramic coating fusion plus is a

silicon based product so you have a

carrier fluid containing nanoparticles

and these tiny particles create an

inseparable bond with your paint work

that can't easily be washed off like a

wax or sealant really one of the easiest

ways to think about a ceramic coating is

like a semi-permanent wax or sealant

semi-permanent in that it lasts for

several years in this case expels

coating comes with a four year warranty

the duration for the four year warranty

was set based on third-party accelerated

wear testing applying the product starts

with the condition of your car's paint

and whether it's being applied to the

paint directly or on top of a paint

protective film in this video the

ceramic coating is being applied on top

of the expelled paint protection film on

my Tesla Model 3 if it's applied

directly to your paint you'll want the

paint to be perfectly clean and any

paint correction to be done beforehand

ceramic coatings will not hide swirls or

scratches instead they'll seal them and

permanently so it's important that you

have your paint as perfect as possible

before applying the coating if the

ceramic coating is being applied on top

of a paint protection film then paint

correction is not required

and unlike ceramic coatings protective

films can

cover up and hide light swirls and

scratches on a clear coat as the

adhesives of the film fill in the gaps

on the paint surface we'll get more into

the differences between protective films

and ceramic coatings later in the video

the application process itself is pretty

straightforward similar to painting a

car proper protection is required this

includes skin and eye protection as well

as a knee OSHA approved ventilator if

you're not working in a well-ventilated

area the risk of inhaling fumes with

liquid based products that are applied

directly is decreased versus spray-on

coatings however a proper respirator is

never a bad idea fusion plus is applied

with a dropper to a micro suede towel

and then applied to the vehicle in small

sections after applying to a small area

once the product starts to develop a

streaky appearance and is beginning to

flash off you wipe off the excess with a

microfiber towel and then a final wipe

down with an additional separate

microfiber towel if applying the ceramic

coating to glass it may require a third

wipe down with a slightly water damped

microfiber towel to remove any haziness

that may appear the coating will be

perfectly clear on glass when applied

correctly the process is repeated for

the entire car and you can slightly

overlap sections which won't leave any

visual indication to ensure the complete

car is covered some ceramic coatings are

sold as DIY kits some are professional

install only expel fusion Plus only

allows for professional installation

there are several reasons for this first

taking proper safety precautions is

certainly easier to control in a

professional environment glasses gloves

and respirator and while the application

process is fairly straightforward it's

also just as easy to mess up the biggest

thing is preparing the paint surface

making sure proper correction is done

before applying the product and that the

surface is perfectly clean when applying

the product things like humidity

temperature and how much you apply can

all change how quickly the product

starts to flash off which alters the

exact time you should wipe the surface

down if you apply too much product or to

a dirty surface you can leave behind a

streaky appearance drips or sealed dirt

to the surface

once the product has cured it's

difficult to remove and also difficult

to tell if you fully removed it to

remove it requires polishing aggressive

compound or worst case wet sanding I've

shown some panels here with what it can

look like when the product has not been

properly applied versus when it has been

installed correctly with the paint in

good shape a full installation can

happen in a few hours then the coating

needs time to cure for the first 24

hours you shouldn't get any water on the

surface the coating cures with exposure

to sunlight or even just air while it

can happen sooner the surface will be

cured after four days during this curing

process the gloss of the finish will

actually increase peaking and glossy

appearance days after the installation

here's where it gets fun while the

entire surface including all of the

glass on my Tesla Model 3 was coated we

coated just half of the hood on my crust

wreck as an experiment commence throwing

buckets of mud on top of the hood the

left side of the hood does not have a

ceramic coating though it is covered in

expel paint protection film no worries

no paint was harmed in the making of

this video as you can see the ceramic

coating on the right side of the hood

has significantly less friction and is

more hydrophobic the mud wants to drain

right off whereas the non coated side

keeps the dirt on top this also

illustrates another fascinating property

of the ceramic coating and that it has a

self-cleaning characteristic dirt on the

surface of the car would rather stick to

water droplets than the paint surface so

when it rains dirt traps in the water

droplets and is blown off the car as you

drive so does all of this mean you never

have to wash your car again no

absolutely not

you still have to maintain the surface

of a coated car it simply makes washing

your car significantly easier and it

eliminates the need to apply a wax or

sealant afterwards no more waxing in

fact waxes and sealants often have

solvents within them which should not be

used on a ceramic coating you don't want

to use acetone or lacquer thinners

either as these can degrade the surface

isopropyl alcohol can be used to remove

stains for water spots which yes you can

still get with the ceramic coating you

can remove the

with a water vinegar mix again think of

coatings like a permanent wax or sealant

you still need to wash your car it's

just easier and you won't have to wax at

the end a simple 2 bucket method wash

and then drying the surface with clean

towels is recommended weekly expel also

recommends applying ceramic boost every

4 to 6 washes to help maintain the

hydrophobic qualities of the coating

another fascinating thing about this

coating is its compatibility with paint

protection films this is something I

didn't quite understand before seeing

the install process if a ceramic coating

a hard glass like surface is applied on

top of a urethane paint protective film

like expel wouldn't that negate the

protective properties of the film

allowing for cracks and rock chips and

also remove the self-healing properties

of expels paint protection films and yet

it does not much of this is a result of

how incredibly thin the ceramic coating

layer is the flexible protective film

helps prevent rock chips by spreading

out the stresses of a rock on impact and

because the ceramic coating is so thin

the self-healing properties of that film

still work here's a quick little test to

demonstrate this we have a sheet of

painted metal then covered an expell

ultimate plus paint protection film and

then covered in fusion plus ceramic

coating first I'm spraying water on the

surface to show the hydrophobic

properties of the ceramic coating next I

take a brass brush and create surface

scratches on the film and coating as you

can see you can still scratch a ceramic

coating even when this has a scratch

resistance of 9h the highest rating on

the pencil hardness test and the

standard for a good ceramic coating next

a heat gun is used to heat up the

surface and as you can see just like a

non coated expelled paint protection

film the surface heals just fine again

it comes down to just how thin the

ceramic coating is so is the coating

still there a few sprays of water and

you can see the hydrophobic qualities of

the ceramic coating remain so with a

paint protective film and a coating you

get the best of both worlds this was

pretty mind-blowing for me to watch and

to be honest I still don't fully

understand what's happening at the

molecular level

essentially the brass brush is

rearranging the protective film

structure and with some heat it's back

to a lower energy state that's smooth

and flat the ceramic coating is bonded

to that topmost surface and rearranged

with the film as it's heated leaving

behind no noticeable scratches and a

smooth surface again after allowing the

coating some time to cool and then

spraying again with water you can see it

still maintains the hydrophobic

properties of the ceramic coating so as

a brief summary of the to a ceramic

coating we'll provide some basic

protection but it is more so about the

depth and glossy appearance as well as

hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties

again think relatively permanent wax

paint protective films on the other hand

will offer real protection against rock

chips and scratches ceramic coatings can

also be applied to matte surfaces like

on the trim of my Tesla or the carbon

fiber spoiler without significantly

altering the matte appearance while you

could get either product individually

and both have their advantages it is

important to note that a ceramic coating

can go on top of a paint protective film

but not the other way around if a car

has a ceramic coating it makes it very

difficult for a paint protective film to

bond to the surface so the coating has

to be removed before installing the film

and obviously since the paint protective

film is a much thicker layer by covering

up the ceramic coating you will lose the

purpose and benefits of that coating

putting the coating on top of the film

gives you the best of both worlds

so a huge thank you to expell for

partnering on the video and of course

for sharing so much information about

ceramic coatings if you're interested in

having expell ceramic coating installed

on your vehicle i've included a link to

their dealer locator in the video

description I'll also include additional

information in the video description

about pricing as this will be dependent

on how much paint correction is required

paint protective film coverage and

installer labor rates based on location

thank you all so much for watching if

you have any questions or comments feel

free to leave them below