A high performance clear coat has been developed in response to a request from car giant Toyota.

The global manufacturer demanded a self-healing, scratch-resistant coating, that satisfies low VOC requirements of less than 420g/litre.  Experts at AkzoNobel Car Refinishes discuss their latest offering

These days, auto manufacturers have achieved so many advances in engine design and reliability that it is often taken as a given that the engine will come to life when the key is turned. Gone are the days of finicky carburators and fouled spark plugs. Modern cars do just fine when the weather is cold and damp or when the heat is stifling, breakdowns are rare and a typical car can go for several years without a tune-up. But no matter how well you build the inside of the car, the outside is still exposed to the hazards of the road: stones flying off the pavement, shrubs and branches intruding into roadways, careless shoppers ramming their shopping carts into gleaming fenders, rings and zippers scarring the finish, and car wash brushes that take away the gloss at the same time as they remove the dirt.

Aftermarket solution

There’s hardly a car owner who doesn’t want to maintain that showroom-new shine, and that is, of course, especially true for those who have invested in a luxury vehicle. In recent years, a number of luxury automakers, beginning with Mercedes, have introduced scratch-resistant clear coats for new cars to try to limit the damage. But what happens when a vehicle is in an accident and a panel must be repainted or replaced?

One global manufacturer has come up with an aftermarket solution that is not only scratch-resistant, but takes the concept to a new level – it is actually self-healing. The Sikkens Autoclear Exclusive LV is designed with the ability to repair the annoying nicks and scratches that tend to drive car owners to distraction. This is due to the ‘re-flow’ characteristics of the coating. When the coating is exposed to a heat source – including ordinary sunlight – it restores itself.

Typically, the clear coat that gives a car its gloss has a build of about 60 microns. With Sikkens Autoclear LV Exclusive, superficial scratches will be reduced to less than one micron in a short period of time when this clear is heated to temperatures between 40-80°C using a heat source. This feature results in remarkable gloss retention as demonstrated in simulated car wash tests in contrast to standard clears.