Matt finishes

Buying a car involves long time dedicated to choosing a model of engine and equipment selection. To get a car that will be unique to us, we finally pay attention to the color. Usually there is a basic color palette in price, but there are also several additional options available at a much higher cost. One such option is to finish your new car with a matt finish. The price is dependent on the size of the car and brand and can range from $ 1,000 for Hyundai to $ 4,000 for the Mercedes. Carrying this cost will make our car elegant and chalky appearance will soften bold colors. On European market, matt finishes are exotic. They require more care, especially longer washing time. This is certainly a bit more cumbersome than with smooth finishes, but it certainly produces better visual effects.

The matt coating gives a unique character to the car body, but for paint manufacturers it is a real challenge. In short, the lacquer requires the use of complex production technology to preserve the same protective qualities as glossy lacquer.

But what really is the matt structure on the car?

Just like color, both the gloss and the matt effects are the subjective impressions that are defined by our senses. And everything is related to light - the color of a given surface is what it is, because of the color spectrum of the light reflected by the particles that correspond to the color of this surface. The intensity of light reflection depends on the smoothness of the surface. Mirror as we know the represents the biggest shine effect that can be achieved, its surface is absolutely smooth. On the other hand, if we are dealing with so-called microparticles (the surface will be slightly rough), then a large part of the light will be dispersed and only a small part of it will be reflected. And in that case we are talking about a matt surface. In order to create such a rough surface, additives like silicones or waxes are added to the varnish. When this type of lacquer is applied to the surface with such additives, the matting particles are evenly distributed in the film layer during drying and a thin layer with a micro-rough surface is formed. The typical size of such microstructures is 4- 10 microns.

The degree of matting is affected by many factors. It is important to choose appropriate matting agents, binders or diluents. notice that the way of application is also very crucial. The thinner the paint layer, the more effective the matt effect, so it is recommended to apply 2 thin layers or 1.5 layers of matt paint. The speed of evaporation of the diluent also influence roughness of the surface, higher evaporation results in better look of matt effect.

On the market there are several products, thanks to which we can achieve the matt effect in car repairs. Among them matting paste which, in appropriate proportions, is added to the 2-component acrylic lacquer or to the clear coat thereby obtaining the desired degree of matt effect. So far, users of such products have encountered the problem of components, responsible for matting, sedimenting to the bottom of the can. Multichem, manufacturer and owner of Profix brand, by using state-of-the-art additives, has developed a product that gives a high degree of matt effect and copes with the problem of sedimentation (matt resin 003).

Another way to achieve matt finish

The second way to obtain a matt surface is to use as a topcoat a matt clearcoat. Clearcoats are applied to a surface previously covered with a base coat. We only need to remember to keep the required time interval to evaporate the base paint before we put the clearcoat - check the Technical Data Sheet for each product. This is an important condition and it must be strictly observed - it is imperative to read the product's TDS card. If the colorless varnish is applied too fast, the base layer diluent will be trapped by the lacquer. This is comparable to closing the base under the foil. Trapped diluent must “get out”, which may cause gassing on the surface of the clearcoat, and thus reduce the adhesion of the clearcoat to the surface. If the clearcoat is applied too late, the dried base layer will not bind to the clearcoat, and the topcoat will begin to peel off.

With help of matt clearcoat, it is possible to obtain a matt effect even in the case of metallic lacquers or with a pearlescent effect. When manufacturing this type of lacquer, the challenge is to obtain scratch resistance layer. The necessity of applying a thin layer of lacquer forces manufacturers to develop hard and scratch-resistant products. Interestingly, in case of such varnish we can adjust the level of matt effect ourselves. Blending matt clearcoat (CM 10) with high gloss (CP 1500), we adjust the degree of desired gloss on the surface.

How do you care so you have

Modern matt coatings are durable and resistant to weather conditions. Atmospheric conditions are just one side of the coin, and the other is mechanical resistance (including scratches). Every free parking lot seeker knows how easy it is to scratch the door when getting out of the car. That colorless and hard surface protects our cars from being scratched. Car body cleanliness is an important aspect of car longevity, however it is carelessly ignored. It extends - even a few years - the service life of the coating. Nothing is as bad as bird droppings on car coating. The chemical reaction causes the paint surface to damage.

Contamination of the matt coating by dirt or dust is not as visible as on the glossy surface . In such a structure it is hard to notice slight scratches and washing in car wash does not cause problems if you follow some tips.

First and foremost, do not use non-dedicated for lacquer products. You can now purchase dedicated products for the maintenance and care of matt coatings. Unlike traditional paintwork, it is not recommended to wash it with a rinse aid. This does not mean, however, that we can delay the removal of insects, tar or other dirt from the car body for too long. Considering the structure of the paintwork, we should remove it from the body as quickly as possible, preferably by hand washing, using special materials such as cloths or gloves. For the use of a high pressure cleaner, it can be used but with limited pressure and the jet of water from the nozzle must be rotated. It is not necessary to remind at this point that the safe distance to the cleaned surface must be greater than 30 cm. Otherwise, it may be enough to damage or rip the paint. Keep in mind that maintaining a matt finish requires more care. Therefore polishing such surfaces is not advisable.

Last - the cheapest way to get a matt surface is to glue the car with matt film. This is the least durable way to make the car matt. The film is sensitive to scratches and color is limited. But this is the fastest way to change the look of our bodywork. I can hardly imagine, for example, a Mercedes CLS with matt finish.