Detailed knowledge for detailersMiscellaneous detailing related content
Surface tension is the energy a liquid contains that prevents its surface to be deformed by an object with a higher surface tension/energy. The surface energy of water has as a side effect that it can form beads on surfaces with a very low surface energy or high repulsive force.
Sheeting is a particular form of water behavior. Thanks to the interaction between a liquid and a surface, sheeting can occur. This means that the water glides off the surface like a big “sheet” of water. There are a few different things at play that cause sheeting, but it is a popular effect that protective layer can give.
Beading is the visual effect that a difference in surface energy and surface tension gives. Beading gives an indication of how a liquid behaves on a certain surface. Many manufacturers put a lot of time and effort into trying to get the best beads. Many people believe that good beading must mean good sheeting, but this is not the case. Beading is one of the most popular side-effects that a good form of protection gives.
Many detailers will post up pictures of their vehicle showing great beads, and then claim their layer of protection is very old. However, that doesn’t add up. When a wax is a few months old, it doesn’t bead very good anymore, and that is normal. So how did this person manage to use a normal wax and get such great beads after all that time? Because he used a QD!
A sealant is protective product that is made up out of polymers. If they contain wax, they are considered hybrids. Sealants come in several different types and are the step between natural wax and completely synthetic protective products.
Wax is a protective product that is used to protect a surface from outside contaminants. It is made up out of several ingredients with wax as the main ingredient.