This was talked about in the Armor All thread and how petrolium distillates can harm vinal and other such surfaces. I have read the bottels on some waxes and car polishes and they have P/D in them. Can this have a bad effect on car paint? I kind of doubt it because a lot of good waxes on the market have P/D in them it seems. Anyone heard it can be bad?
Petrolium Distillates in some car waxes.
- Thread starter Chris B.
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"Petroleum distillates" can cover a very wide range of solvents, from the heavy stuff used in paste waxes, to the thinner stuff used in liquids. They're pretty much impossible to avoid in waxes and many sealants, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Over time PD's in high amounts can dry out the plasticizers in clearcoat paint and cause it to fail. This could take years, of course, but frequent use of products with a lot of PD's is not a good thing.
As 4DSC said PD's are in almost every product to some extent so perhaps the goal should be to avoid products with very high amounts of PD. Some products use PD's to chemically clean your paint. Others use mechanical abrasives. This is most common in the one-step cleaner waxes on the market. This is one great reason to not use NuFinish. Its both very high in PD (I don't know the exact amount but my conservative guess is 50% by volume) and has mechanical abrasives. Not a good 1-2 punch.
Non cleaning carnauba waxes need PD's to act as a carrier agent so the carnauba can actually be applied to auto paint. This is an example of PD's being unavoidable. Fortunately products with lighter solvents shouldn't harm paint as the solvents typically evaporate after the wax is applied. But if you can stay away from products with heavy solvents, it would be better.
As 4DSC said PD's are in almost every product to some extent so perhaps the goal should be to avoid products with very high amounts of PD. Some products use PD's to chemically clean your paint. Others use mechanical abrasives. This is most common in the one-step cleaner waxes on the market. This is one great reason to not use NuFinish. Its both very high in PD (I don't know the exact amount but my conservative guess is 50% by volume) and has mechanical abrasives. Not a good 1-2 punch.
Non cleaning carnauba waxes need PD's to act as a carrier agent so the carnauba can actually be applied to auto paint. This is an example of PD's being unavoidable. Fortunately products with lighter solvents shouldn't harm paint as the solvents typically evaporate after the wax is applied. But if you can stay away from products with heavy solvents, it would be better.
bretfraz- have you had/seen clear-coat issues that were directly caused by paste/liquid waxes with heavy PD's?? I'm not affiliated with nufinish in any way, but that's a pretty harsh and unfair statement to make about that product
. I've used only liquid type waxes (including nufinish) for the past 12-15yrs with absolutely no problems at all. In fact, they always yeilded the best result for my application. If they are damaging to modern clear coat finishes- I'll need to seek an alternative
!
Joel
Joel
I've not personally experienced clearcoat failure due to damage caused by strong PD's in car wax and I haven't seen it recently, but then I have not detailed professionally for 13 years so I'm not on the front lines. I have seen plenty of cars whose paint was literally polished off due to excessive use of aggressive car polishes.quote:
Originally posted by JTK:
bretfraz- have you had/seen clear-coat issues that were directly caused by paste/liquid waxes with heavy PD's?? I'm not affiliated with nufinish in any way, but that's a pretty harsh and unfair statement to make about that product. I've used only liquid type waxes (including nufinish) for the past 12-15yrs with absolutely no problems at all. In fact, they always yeilded the best result for my application. If they are damaging to modern clear coat finishes- I'll need to seek an alternative!
Joel
I don't think what I said about NuFinish was unfair. I admitted I do not know the exact composition of NuFinish so some of what I said is speculation but its based on 20+ years of personal experience plus the knowledge and experiences of people in the industry with whom I have regular contact. It's not like I just made up everything I said....
If you are happy with NuFinish then I say keep using it. I'm not affiliated with any car care products mfr either so it makes no difference to me what people use on their cars. Just trying to open some eyes and minds to what really is in some popular waxes and polishes and the potential dangers in using them. Take the info for what it's worth to you.
What do you reccomend to wax cars?quote:
Originally posted by bretfraz:
I've not personally experienced clearcoat failure due to damage caused by strong PD's in car wax and I haven't seen it recently, but then I have not detailed professionally for 13 years so I'm not on the front lines. I have seen plenty of cars whose paint was literally polished off due to excessive use of aggressive car polishes.quote:
Originally posted by JTK:
bretfraz- have you had/seen clear-coat issues that were directly caused by paste/liquid waxes with heavy PD's?? I'm not affiliated with nufinish in any way, but that's a pretty harsh and unfair statement to make about that product. I've used only liquid type waxes (including nufinish) for the past 12-15yrs with absolutely no problems at all. In fact, they always yeilded the best result for my application. If they are damaging to modern clear coat finishes- I'll need to seek an alternative!
Joel
I don't think what I said about NuFinish was unfair. I admitted I do not know the exact composition of NuFinish so some of what I said is speculation but its based on 20+ years of personal experience plus the knowledge and experiences of people in the industry with whom I have regular contact. It's not like I just made up everything I said....
If you are happy with NuFinish then I say keep using it. I'm not affiliated with any car care products mfr either so it makes no difference to me what people use on their cars. Just trying to open some eyes and minds to what really is in some popular waxes and polishes and the potential dangers in using them. Take the info for what it's worth to you.
I have always thought NuFinish smells a little like gas-o-lean(sp).
I am not wax or polymer expert but have never seen any damage caused by long term use of Nufinish. It is used on alot of aircraft and cars. Aircraft have very little paint on them. I use Zymol witch is PD free wax's( I think) myself but am consider returning to Polymer type coatings due to lazy streak! I used Nufinish on my Mothers cars from 1991 to 2003 once a week down south and once a month up north until winter comes. Her paint on her car was fantastic for a car that old. The paint had chips from road debrigh but was not oxidized or dead looking at all.
Seeing how many times it was tested by consumer reports and other groups you would think that it would be safe for use.WHile I would never agrue that it is the best product out their surely other must use the same chemicals. At one point it even had the good house keeping seal of approval.
The distilates are need to max the wax flow. Some are their to chemicaly clean the paint or try to replace lost oils. Carnuba is actuly harder then concrete or something like that. They have to boil the leaves scrap the wax off with knives then mix it with PD's and filter it and then boil off alot of PD's until they have it almost solid again in a big block. Then it is shipped out were it is cut with more PD's and processed into finished product. Abrasives can be avoided to some extent but if it is Carnuba based it is almost impossable for it to be free of PD's.
Has their been any documented cases like law suites or anything against Nufinish?
Seeing how many times it was tested by consumer reports and other groups you would think that it would be safe for use.WHile I would never agrue that it is the best product out their surely other must use the same chemicals. At one point it even had the good house keeping seal of approval.
The distilates are need to max the wax flow. Some are their to chemicaly clean the paint or try to replace lost oils. Carnuba is actuly harder then concrete or something like that. They have to boil the leaves scrap the wax off with knives then mix it with PD's and filter it and then boil off alot of PD's until they have it almost solid again in a big block. Then it is shipped out were it is cut with more PD's and processed into finished product. Abrasives can be avoided to some extent but if it is Carnuba based it is almost impossable for it to be free of PD's.
Has their been any documented cases like law suites or anything against Nufinish?
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