When it comes to ceramic coatings, many companies make claims of how durable and long lasting their product is. But one of the most common questions I receive is, “Will this really prevent scratches like they claim”?
The answer to that is yes, in a way, but companies take the… political approach on exaggerating that. No coating will prevent rock chips, prevent a key scratch, etc. A clear bra is almost twice as thick as the thickest coating claim, and the only way to prevent damage is for the sacrificial layer (clean bra or coating) to absorb that impact.
The claim of 10H Hardness is a little misplaced as well as it is not stated upon which scale, so many think to the more commonly know Mohs scale, which would mean it is as hard as a diamond. While that would be amazing, it is tested on the Pencil Hardness scale, meaning it is as hard as the most durable pencil lead. Still durable don’t get me wrong, but that deliberately left out piece of info can be pretty misleading.
So how does it prevent scratching? In a very specific way. A ceramic coating will make the surface of the paint extremely slick and create high water contact angles. What this does it allow the dirt and debris on your paint to be less embedded in the paint, meaning it takes less effort to remove, thus less chance for that debris to damage the paint when removing. Also, less debris will stick the paint overall, again reducing the change for scratching.
So does it help prevent scratching? Yes absolutely. But the key work is help. Coatings are still an amazing protection option for your vehicle but they have their place and their limitations.