Car Polish To Keep That Sparkle... A Primer

11/20/08

A brand new shiny car is a joy for every owner. The pleasure, however, does not last long as over time the car's exterior paint develops scratches and gathers dust grime and oil marks. Ageing of the exterior paint is a natural process that gives a dull look for the car. Application of car polish helps restore shine to your car as also give it a bright look. To give the car a new look the car polish must have ingredients to remove the scratch marks as also the dust and grime.

One must recognize how car polish differs from car wax. Normal car wax gives a water protective layer and a shiny finish. It does not remove scratches as car waxes usually do not have abrasive agents. A car polish on the other hand removes scratches on account of abrasive ingredients forming part of their composition. Hydrocarbon solvents in the car polish remove the dust, grime and the oil marks while the abrasive ingredients remove the scratches. The work of the abrasive ingredients is to remove a very thin layer of the pain, just a few microns so that the scratches are literally abraded away. This peeling of thin layer removes the old paint leaving a brand new layer on the top.

However, this new look does not yet have the 'shine' due to the abrasion carried out. To get back the shine, the car polish must have a wax component. Car polish comes in different varieties. Water solvent polishing agents based car polish is one of the types. Automatic car wash systems use aqueous dispersion car polish. The most common type of car polish being used by car owners are Silicone based car polish. Silicone has some very useful properties for getting a good shine. The silicone acts as a lubricant, water repellant and as a high gloss ingredient.

Car polish is sold in tins, as liquids and even as a spray. Aerospace technology used by NASA has also been incorporated to produce patented car polish. These patented car polishes use "Electrophoresis Dynamics", a principle, in which the polish ingredients bond with paint surface after the abrading and cleaning. The paint ingredients and the metal of the car are bonded tightly on account of magnetic attraction for a long time. Polishing a car involves hard labor, either manual or by use of automated tools. Polishing a car is an complex procedure that involves a three stage process of polishing hard, then with medium pressure and lastly soft pressure to bring back the gloss. Car polish is essential for the upkeep of a car and not another optional item.