M.J

when i wax my car using prestone wax or Nxt meguaiers. the water stop beading after a week only !! although i use a speical car shampo which shouldn't remove the wax but the water still stop beading after the second wash !!! should i use a different wax ?????

TOGWT

Water beading is caused by surface tension and has nothing to do with protection provided. A newly painted surface will bead water.

M.J

yea, i know but when i finish waxing usualley you can see the water beading but after few days when i rewash the i don't see the water bead anymore. !
i guess that mean the wax is no longer there !!

Greg@DI

The lack of beading could mean a lot of different things. Most likely is that the wax has faded a bit or is gone. Waxes can evaporate rather quickly, especially in very hot temperatures. You may be better off switching to a sealant which is more resistant to the elements and generally last much longer. Something like the Menzerna Full Molecular Jacket, Poorboy's World EX-P, etc will typically last much longer. Let me know if you'd like more information on sealants or help selecting one for you.

Greg @ Detailed Image

BlackLiquorish8

high heat, rain, snow and such will make the car not bead i would wash the car down and switch to a sealant. I would probably use synethetic b/c this type of wax will last even through high heat. Even though carnuaba provides a higher and deeper shine but generally do not lasts as long.

StevethePilot

I know when you use carnuba wax here in the Phoenix area, particularly in the summer, it wears off fairly quickly. That's especially true on a black car like mine! Synthetic sealers are much more durable in hot, sandy environments, though (as stated elsewhere) they might give a slightly less deep appearance to the paint.

TOGWT

Cliff notes version.

And now the full story;

Durability: [: able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration] Nearly all wax and sealant products exhibit water beading or sheeting initially (in fact so does a clean paint surface without an applied protection) this is due solely to surface tension, once the protection breaks down (abrasion from water, road dirt/grime and other airborne pollutants) it will cause a reduction in the surface tension and the beading will revert to its former level

If your goal is maximum protection, don't use water beading/sheeting as an indicator; while its true that it is a visual indicator that a wax / sealant previously applied is still present it does not guarantee that it’s actually providing protection. Beading on a paint surface is aesthetically pleasant, and many people equate beading with protection; there is a long standing myth “that as long as a paint surface maintains beading it’s being protected from the elements” (much like the myth that “the more soap produces suds the better the cleaning effect”)
(See also Table I)

a) Surface tension- water has a property called surface tension; it’s caused by the attraction between the molecules of the liquid, due to various intermolecular forces. In the bulk of the liquid each molecule is pulled equally in all directions by neighbouring liquid molecules, resulting in a net force of zero. This tension causes water to bead up on surfaces, you can see surface tension at work by placing a drop of water onto a clean surface that has no wax / sealant, and the water drop (bead) will hold its shape and will not spread.

b)Water beading- [: convex beads that have a small, tight symmetrical shape due to cohesion] although you cannot equate a products beading ability to protection and durability, if an applied product continues to `bead' water, one wash after another, then that would prove that whatever it is that is causing high surface tension is not washing off. Surface tension can be compromised mechanically by dirt breaching the sphere and causing it to loose its shape; this does not necessarily mean that the surface protection has diminished.

There is not a scientific test, but this is a suggestion from a polymer product manufacturer (Zaino)-

Quote: To test your polish/wax, you must measure the water beading of your paint (height, contact angle and diameter) without any polish/wax applied. Next, measure the water beading of your paint (height, contact angle and diameter) within 24 hours after initially applying your polish/wax. This is your starting point. This will also be the gauge for determining the water beading (longevity, duration and changes) for that specific product. As the water beads start to diminish (get wider and shallower and loses contact angle), the polish/wax and its film protection factor is going away, Once the water beading is the same as before you apply your product, the polish/wax and its protection are gone”.

There are some disadvantages to water beading, when they are dried by ambient temperature they cause ‘spotting’ (if the rain contains calcium it will leave a white residue) The other is there could be over a pint of liquid trapped within the beads over the paint film surface area, if they contain acid from industrial fall out (IFO) this could increase the time the acidic solution remains on the paint surface compared to ‘water sheeting’.

The beads have a very small surface area, so the sun will increase the surface temperature very rapidly; many chemical compounds react to slight heating and an oxidizing process. Now you have acid + water + oxygen + ozone + heat; all of which equates to a highly concentrated acidic solution, which causes a concave indentation (acid etching) to the paint surface
(See also Reactivity, Acid Rain, and Industrial Fall out (IFO)

c) Indications that the products durability may be diminishing- when the water beads become noticeably larger in diameter with a flat, concave or an irregular shape usually indicate that the surface tension of the wax or sealant is diminishing. Or when dust, dirt or bug residue becomes more difficult to wipe off with a quick detailing spray are indications that it may be time to renew the protection

d) Slickness- slide a micro fibre towel across a horizontal surface to see how much resistance there is, if there has been a significant reduction from what you experienced previously the durability is probably diminishing

e) Sheeting or water beading- almost any product can be reformulated by a Chemist with active surface agents (surfactants) either ionic (‘sheeting’) or non-ionic (‘beading’) that alters the surface tension and causes water to ‘sheet’ or ‘bead’ to satisfy consumer demand. But if a product beads on initial application and after a period of time starts to sheet water (or visa versa) it is normally indicative that the wax/sealant protection has diminished.

f) Conclusion- water beading is indicative but not conclusive proof of protection


Fracture/evaporation temperatures: Polymers 350oF, Silicone oil 350oF, Mineral oils 200oF, Synthetic blends (Carnauba wax / polymers) 200oF, Carnauba wax 180oF, and Bee’s wax 130oF.
In actual practice the high temperatures frequently encountered by vehicles from the radiation causes wax compounds to melt, for example, a painted surfaces exposed to ambient temperatures of 85oF in direct sunlight, will obtain a temperature of 195 degrees or more. It should be noted that there is a range of temperatures at which melting begins and that the 'melting point' is the end point of that range

Information resource- Relevant Material Data Sheet (MSDS) Zymol website (http://www.zymol.com/carnauba.htm)

Generally you can expect 50% of your Carnauba wax layer to be gone after 30 days, 75% after 60 days and 95% gone after 90 days. You should plan on waxing your car four (4) times a year. You can extend the waxes life expectancy by parking indoors, using a car cover and by using a quick detailer spray (QD) like Pinnacle Crystal Mist.

M.J

i am sorry guys but both Nxt meguaires and prestone should be a synthetic sealant and not really wax !

StealthAuto

If you want excellent surface protection and water to bead for weeks or maybe even months, I suggest using Poorboy's EX or EX-P sealants. A nice carnauba wax topped off with a sealant like EX/EXP will bead like no other, I guarantee it.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'll be glad to help.

Sincerely,

Aaron

TOGWT

Quote: A nice carnauba wax topped off with a sealant like EX/EXP will bead like no other, I guarantee it.

Should it be " A sealant like EX/EXP topped off with a nice carnauba wax will bead like no other, I guarantee it"?

StealthAuto

Correct, I had a brain fart sorry.

I've found some sealants to bond to carnauba but most will not.

awahl63

Both aren't very durable...try Collinite Insulator Wax 845