Thought it would be good to clarify a few things as I see so often on the internet people seemingly speaking with confidence and getting things completely wrong.

 

Wax - originally came in paste, and then developed into spray applications. Natural product, molecules are relatively large so will sit "on" the paint. Supposedly gives a warmer look to the paint but its all subjective and never really noticed it myself. Depending on the product, it can be removed from the paint pretty quickly in awful weather/salty roads. Some products like Autoglym SRP contain fillers so will help fill swirlmarks make paint look corrected (but won't be).

 

Polymer Sealant - development of spray wax to replace the wax with polymer/acrylic to give a hardier coating once its on. Will still sit "on" the paint.

 

Ceramic Spray/Hybrid Ceramic Wax - the Sio2/Silicon Dioxide/Silica version of a spray protection. The Ceramic element is hardier still so will resist and the molecules are smaller than waxes and so there could be an element of filling but that would be minimal. There are a variety of applications, usually spray and wipe and sometimes included as a drying aid (although this is most likely combining the use of water to help spread). Carpro Hydro2 and Gyeon Wetcoat are versions which you mist onto the panel and then jetwash off - the forceful action bonds the product to the surface so very easy to use...but these are sensitive to direct sunlight so not advisable unless classic British weather. These tend to give a more silvery glow to this (I put this down to this basically being the same chemistry as glass); 

 

Quick Detailer - you cleaned the car yesterday, it rained today and doesn't look like it has just been cleaned; maybe a bit dusty, or a contaminant in the rain so it has some water spots on it. Enter the quick detailer. Spray and wipe application and most have some sort of gloss effect or light cleaning but there is no one standard minimal set of characteristics so its down to the product. Also often used as a drying aid but any gloss enhancement won't bond for long.

 

**T-Cut Original Restorer - some pre-knowledge for the below. Strong petro-chemical/organic hydrocarbon (Naphthalene I think, subsequently corrected as also including Tetrosyl) that breaks the bonds of the clearcoat (or paint if no clearcoat paintwork) so that it can be massaged and flattened out before it flashes off the the paint/clearcoat reforms its bonds. Its not manually aggressive, it doesn't abrade the paint like a polishing compound would. It can soften edges of deeper scratches. It also acts as a solvent for some contaminants.

 

Ceramic Coatings - these are very very different to anything previous and very specific. These are small concentrated bottles of product that require delicate application so if it doesn't look like that, it isn't a ceramic coating. The ceramic coating is dissolved in very strong petro-chemical solvent carriers like Naphtha, Toluene or Xylene. Again, these melt and break the bonds of the clearcoat/paint, and the ceramic bonds both with the paint molecules and with itself to form a very strong bond. As above, this process can work like T-Cut to flatten out the very lightest of marks on the paint but you're not repeatedly rubbing like you would with T-Cut, its a slow linear movement over the paint so any correction will be minimal if at all. The product then requires an amount of time to fully cure such as 24/48Hrs or up to a few days. Getting the product wet during this time can impact the overall longevity of it. Also, dirt or contaminants caught in the product can be baked-in to last for the length of the coating (some would advise application indoors). Also, the application process needs to ensure there are no "high spots" - product which is built-up and not smoothed out. It becomes obvious because it doesn't allow the light to pass through as clearly and shows itself as a bit of a cloudy patch. It can be solved if caught quickly but decent application avoids these in the first place. Coatings will provide hydrophobic properties and protect the paintwork for anything from 1-9 years. I take anything over 2 years with a pinch of salt and generally unprovable as it is so dependent on how it is maintained and cleaned. It is hardy but is is not bulletproof. You can also create swirlmarks in it, and birdbombs are capable of eating into it if left long enough. It is not immortal. It is also nothing associated with the pencil/MOHS hardness rating - that's essentially a marketing thing. Ceramic Coatings are there to take a bit more of a hit than paint (as paint is so soft and damageable) and assist in UV protection with plenty of gloss and a slick feel.

 

 

I'm sure there's more but hopefully this helps to clarify. Oh, and when the dealer offers a Ceramic Coating, ask for the product name and look it up. If there is anything to do with a spray, it isn't a ceramic coating; its a ceramic spray.

Edited 23 August, 20241 yr by travs
clarification

Can you tell me more about polymer sealant and name some products?

I've never heard of it.

Thanks for clearing up the difference between the "ceramic" products. 👍

No probs - the ceramic thing is the most common issue; shove ceramic in the title and people think it's a coating. Ceramic elements are harder wearing but the key in a coating is the bonding/cross-bonding with the paint at a molecular level. Technically a drawback is that it is brittle comparted to paint which has an element of flexibility to it (described to me like putting a sheet of glass on top of a mattress) but ultimately the scratch-resistance is noticeable.

 

As for Polymer Sealants - they're not always called that, sometimes just called Paint Sealants. I find the ones that refer to having Graphene in are usually good examples, or don't refer to either Wax or Ceramic in the title.

 

Here's a fair listing for products:

https://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/exterior/paint-protection/paint-sealants-synthetic

Personal opinion is that the money is better spent on a Ceramic-based product but 'in matters of taste the customer is always right'. i.e. buy and use what you like and what you're happy with.

T-Cut (aka T-Cut Original Restorer) and T-Cut Scratch Remover are different products; apologies for not specifying but yes I was only ever referring to the first as that I what I know T-Cut as, not the subsequent product ranges. Happy to create more distinction in my post.

I'd throw a "Glaze" into the mix and put SRP in that section

Glazes (aka Showglazes) don't have any protective aspects on their own. They're generally fillers to mask the effect of swirlmarks and add gloss, but generally they don't have any real bonding capability. Put some on with a polishing machine and you'll be taking it back off again after a couple of passes. As a topic about different types of protection, glazes don't make the cut but I could put an additional thread with other bits in. 

 

SRP, as popular a product as it is, is generally fillers and a wax element to it. The fillers will do the masking, and fill in some swirlmarks, then the wax element will hold it in place for a little while; a month tops if the car's being used in dry weather. Chuck in heavy rain and muddy, salty roads (ie the worst conditions) and you can lose the lower half in a day's driving I'd say.