Duragloss 105 - what kind of sealant?

[nubaseal]

Does it use a physical bond like waxes do or a chemical bond like Opti Seal where the polymers cross link with the paint?

I guess it will depend on whether it is a polymer based sealant or acrylic. I love DG 105 but getting very interested in sealants that can cross link and become part of the paint surface rather than just sitting on it.

[Setec Astronomy]

I really think you are overthinking this. An acrylic is still a polymer...polymer is a very generic term. DG 105 is a sealant...I don't think you'll get any argument that sealants cross-link. I would leave what kind of polymer is in the product to the chemists, but if you want to try to out-think them, you can find some terms to bone up on at Wikipedia under "cross-link".

[nubaseal]

Thanks. I was just reading about Opti Seal and how it cross links, hence the confusion. Also. Dr. G openly talks about his polymers being ahead of the Acrlylic kind on the Optimum forums.

[nubaseal]

Another reason I want to know whether DG105 uses a physical bond is because sealants or waxes with a physical bond can not be layered or topped with another wax. If you top it with a wax, you are practically removing the previous layer of sealant.

On the other hand, sealants like Opti Seal that use a chemical bond can be layered.

[.brian.]

Another reason I want to know whether DG105 uses a physical bond is because sealants or waxes with a physical bond can not be layered or topped with another wax. If you top it with a wax, you are practically removing the previous layer of sealant.

Interesting. I would like to know if there is any truth to this, as I have been topping 105 with Collinite 845 for the past 2 years.

[BobbyG]

As Setec pointed out, don't over think this otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy...

When thinking about layering protection always remember that anything you apply begins to degrade the minute it's applied. Sun, wind, rain, washing etc all are enemy's and will defeat any protective coating you apply. So when someone asks about applying sealant over wax that's over 2 months old for the most part the wax is probably already met it's fate and is in need of replenishing.

It's always a good idea to thoroughly clean the panel before applying anything and this includes an IPA wipe-down..

After using Duragloss #105 you can top it with a sealant or your favorite wax. Myself, I like to apply Duragloss AquaWax as a final layer of protection.

When I do use sealants I like to let it cure overnight as a rule before adding an additional coat of anything but after that I usually wait an hour or so before reapplying.

[FUNX650]

Another reason I want to know whether DG105 uses a physical bond is because sealants or waxes with a physical bond can not be layered or topped with another wax. If you top it with a wax, you are practically removing the previous layer of sealant.

On the other hand, sealants like Opti Seal that use a chemical bond can be layered.

•When it comes to automotive-LSPs:
-What exactly is a physical bond?

•Regardless of your "theory of layering"...
-Explain chemical bonding.
-Why do you say some Sealants do, and some Sealants don't: chemically bond?
-And to WHAT can/do they bond to, if they do chemically bond?


Thanks.

Bob

[nubaseal]

This is a response by Dr. G on Optimumforums to a questions about Polymers Vs Acrylics

Thank you for your question. I try to answer this without too much technical jargon. The products you mentioned contain polyethylene-acrylic acid which is still a polymer yet very different from what is used in the Optimum line. Polyethylene is the base in these products which is also used in candle making. The acrylic acid portion will provide substantivity which in turn results in durability versus just using polyehtylene based products.

The main difference with the polymers we use vs polyethylene-acrylics is that there is no cross-linking with polyethylene-acrylics. However, with the polymers we use, they will cross-link and cure within 24 hours to create a 3-dimensional matrix. This is valid for the Optimum Car Wax, Poli-Seal, and Opti-Seal. The latter cures much faster due to new technologies that we developed over the past two years.

Another benefit is cross-linking between layers so that if you add a layer of Opti-Seal or Optimum Car Wax on top of Opti-Seal, Poli-Seal, or Optimum Car Wax it wil bond to the previous layer(s). This can not be done with polyethylene-acrylics since there is no cross-linking capability in this technology.

The one advantage polyehtylene-acrylics offer is that since they are acidic by natue, they hold up better to acid rain, however, at the same time since they are acidic, they can cause minor etching of the paint. All and all, for the above reasons, our entire line is free of polyehtylene-acrylics and therefore all of the products in the Optimum line are compatible with each other.

It implies that others sealants like those from Duragloss can not be layered at all, neither with the same sealant or with any wax on top. I always thought that topping a durable sealants like DG 105 with a good wax gets you the best of both worlds but now I am not so sure.

Acrylics vs. Polymer - Ask the Optimum Experts - Optimum Forum

[silverfox]

I seriously doubt the guys who insist on topping sealants and coatings with everything under the sun... have any idea what they're doing when they cross family lines. Mostly wasting money and time. Dr G again points the way...but is anybody really listening?

[Lost Highway]

It implies that others sealants like those from Duragloss can not be layered at all, neither with the same sealant or with any wax on top. I always thought that topping a durable sealants like DG 105 with a good wax gets you the best of both worlds but now I am not so sure.

Acrylics vs. Polymer - Ask the Optimum Experts - Optimum Forum

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of layering, especially with diverse products, but I don't see anything in Dr G's comments that would suggest that you can't layer polyethylene-acrylics. Conventional waxes don't chemically bond to the substrate under any circumstances so the cross-linking issue is moot. I have heard of no negative field results from layering DG sealants nor have I experienced any but I do think that more than a couple layers does little more than waste product. With or without cross-linking IME DG sealants are among the most durable on the market short of coatings.

There seems to be a strange belief among proponents of layering diverse products that it magically delivers all the positives of each product while cancelling out or greatly diminishing their negatives/weaknesses. This is both counter-intuitive and not supported by by own experience. Wax on top of sealants or coatings might give you a slightly different look and it might give you slightly enhanced protection against some contaminants but it definitely will give you the dust and water behavior of wax as an LSP as opposed to that of a sealant or coating. IME this generally means worse behavior. I'm not at all anti-wax, I like the look it can give, but if you want a wax finish IMO just use wax and forget about layering over sealants or coatings (note: hard winter areas, where you want all the protection you can get, may be an exception that tries the rule).