Author Topic: Spray-on clearbra (Read 17827 times)

OK.. testing is complete!

I'm not allowed to post a test report, but I can summarize what we found. For those interested in the details (TomatoSoup, GJ, others) our lab is an independently accredited lab, and my company produces consumers goods. I submitted these panels to the same sort of testing any painted panel would be tested to on any of our products.

With that said...

Humidity is an issue for this coating. By that I mean 1000 hours in 100% humidity stains the surface. Samples placed outside have not shown an issue in the Midwest summer heat & humidity though. From talking with 3M (my company has a working relationship with them), I'm not concerned in normal application at all.

Detergents are not friendly. So, if you are like me and strip your wax with Dawn prior to starting your detailing routine, I'd be careful where this is applied. Slight exposure from rinsing the detergent shouldn't be an issue, and we run the test at elevated temperatures... but I'd recommend not washing with dish detergents on the panels you have this applied to. If you've coated an entire panel (facia, hood,) then you shouldn't really need to be removing wax there.

Staining Agents that you might be likely to use and thus should avoid:
409, ammonia (found in some window cleaners such as Windex), Fantastik. We don't test Simple Green... I know others like to use this, so I can't speak to it. Stains varied in severity, but usually end up as white spots on the coating.

Abrasion resistance performed well... similar to other painted surfaces.

UV testing was performed through accelerated testing in a UV chamber. Performance was good (500 hours) with very slight color change. If this was a pigmented paint it would have passed requirements. The Florida UV exposure test (3 months) is not yet complete. I would say it's fair to expect this to work as well as your paint does... don't expect it to stop UV fading under the surface, but do expect yellowing over time. I'll have a better understanding after the Florida testing is complete.

Forming and impact resistance performed well and would have passed if this was a pigmented paint.

Corrosion performance performed well and would have passed if this was a pigmented paint.

Heat aging looks at color shift, and performed well and would have passed if this was a pigmented paint.

All and all this appears to hold up well in lab testing. I don't see any reason I wouldn't give it a try... and will be doing just that shortly.

Feel free to ask questions.. I'll respond to what I can, but I can't give details of testing away since it is our product testing requirements.

TomatoSoup · « **Reply #59 on:** August 19, 2013, 11:46:57 AM »

Very interesting, Thanks!

So, I wonder why (or what) causes 3M to say it only lasts a year (minimum)? What exactly happens to it that you need to replace it?

As an update on mine, the only negative I see is that it's not quite as shiny as the paint. 3M says you can apply polish (well actually they say "don't polish immediately after application") but I haven't done that yet. Maybe that will make it less noticeable.

SolNut · « **Reply #60 on:** August 19, 2013, 12:08:43 PM »

I see that ArmorAll just came out with a similar (?) product.

Would this product work on headlights?

rlhammon · « **Reply #61 on:** August 19, 2013, 12:18:25 PM »

Quote from: SolNut on August 19, 2013, 12:08:43 PM

I see that ArmorAll just came out with a similar (?) product.

Would this product work on headlights?

I haven't seen it.. but my guess is AmorAll is selling the 3M stuff. 3M developed this over 3 years ago and was looking for a customer to sell it to... they didn't find a buyer, so they took it to market under their own label.

TomatoSoup · « **Reply #62 on:** August 19, 2013, 12:18:38 PM »

Quote from: SolNut on August 19, 2013, 12:08:43 PM

Would this product work on headlights?

3M says NOT for use on headlights

Quote from: SolNut on August 19, 2013, 12:08:43 PM

I see that ArmorAll just came out with a similar (?) product.

That seems to be more like PlastiDip (not shiny/clear): http://www.aacustomshield.com/car-bra-protection-for-your-hood/

rlhammon · « **Reply #63 on:** August 19, 2013, 12:21:56 PM »

Quote from: TomatoSoup on August 19, 2013, 11:46:57 AM

Very interesting, Thanks!

So, I wonder why (or what) causes 3M to say it only lasts a year (minimum)? What exactly happens to it that you need to replace it?

As an update on mine, the only negative I see is that it's not quite as shiny as the paint. 3M says you can apply polish (well actually they say "don't polish immediately after application") but I haven't done that yet. Maybe that will make it less noticeable.

You're welcome TS.

It's going to yellow, without a doubt. The question is the extent of yellowing. I didn't see any adhesion issues over time, unless you expose it to various chemicals I said you shouldn't that is. I'm not seeing (or from the chemistry.. I don't understand) any way that this will fail to protect. I'm curious as to what my Florida UV samples end up looking like though. I can see the color shift after 500 hours of UV. What would have been great was to test a sample of film along side of this. I hadn't thought about it.. but I think I have a small piece somewhere at my house. Perhaps I can get this checked for comparison sake, because I can't really provide you absolute numbers... so a relative scale of performance vs. a (more) known sample such as film would be helpful.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #64 on:** August 19, 2013, 01:46:49 PM »

Thanks for testing this stuff out. It's interesting to say the least. Might have to try it on my wife's car.

ihawk95 · « **Reply #65 on:** August 19, 2013, 03:03:24 PM »

Good results Rich.

I'm interested in the FL results also. I used to work for a paint manufacturer and we would find the resins would sometimes yellow and check or crack in the sun. Florida really abuses the sample panels!

rlhammon · « **Reply #66 on:** August 20, 2013, 09:57:23 PM »

Quote from: ihawk95 on August 19, 2013, 03:03:24 PM

Good results Rich.

I'm interested in the FL results also. I used to work for a paint manufacturer and we would find the resins would sometimes yellow and check or crack in the sun. Florida really abuses the sample panels!

Sure does. I'm going to be doing a lot of Florida UV testing, and comparisons back to our lab UV chamber. I ran these through a standard lab UV set up for 500 hours. Yellowing is slight, but the real results from Florida exposure will be telling.

I've thought about opening up one of these test centers on the island of Maui. Problem is convincing people to send me their samples out there at a rate that affords me a life on the island.

TomatoSoup · « **Reply #67 on:** May 18, 2014, 05:42:26 PM »

Just a follow-up on this stuff. In summary: DON'T TOUCH IT!

I applied this to my wife's (then new) Mazda just under a year ago. At first it looked GREAT. Nice, clear and shiny. Pretty easy to apply, apart from the masking. But within a couple of months it started to turn cloudy. Problem is it seems to never become waterproof, so after a bout of rain, it would absorb the water and go cloudy, then clear up again after it dried, But after a few cycles of this it seems to start to retain the cloudiness. Now it's really cloudy and ugly and mottled , with bits of road dirt and vegetation embedded in it. Gonna have to strip it off, but I'm afraid to touch it!

Bottom line, save your money.

The Carrier · « **Reply #68 on:** May 18, 2014, 09:30:14 PM »

Thanks TS, good to know. I'm toying around with Plasti-Dip for the first time just this weekend. No, not on my Kappa...

on my '98 Dakota that is showing some isolated surface damage.

Good luck with peeling that stuff off. If it comes off OK, no harm done (?)

Critterman · « **Reply #69 on:** May 22, 2014, 07:40:50 PM »

Yeah TS we need a follow up on your follow up. let us know how it comes off and what it (the paint) looks like

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Author Topic: Spray-on clearbra (Read 17827 times)