BLACKFIRE SiO2 Spray Sealant review by Mike Phillips


BLACKFIRE SiO2 Spray Sealant





First some scientific stuff...


From Wikipedia
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica (from the Latin silex), is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula SiO2. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand.



From READE

Description
Silica is noncombustible, colorless or white and is in a crystal form. High purity sand, almost entirely composed of silica, is a major industrial commodity. Silica sand products are marketed in a wide range of grades, including extremely fine grades known as flours. The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica (from the Latin silex), is an oxide of silicon with a chemical formula of SiO2 and has been known for its hardness since antiquity. Silica is most commonly found in nature as sand or quartz, as well as in the cell walls of diatoms. Silica is the most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust. Silica is manufactured in several forms including glass, crystal, gel, aerogel, fumed silica (or pyrogenic silica), and colloidal silica (e.g. Aerosol).

Chemical Name: Silica

Chemical Formula: SiO2


Synonyms

silicon dioxide, silica, silox, Si02, quartz, fused silica, silica flour, silox, Si02, quartz, fused silica, high purity sand, CAS# 7631-86-9 amorphous silica, CAS# 14808-60-7 crystalline silica, abrasive cleaners, inert fillers, hydraulic fracturing,



So in simple terms, Silicone Dioxide is a granular component of common beach sand only it's been chemically modified and processed to create a nano size version used to create an automotive paint sealant.

Nano = is a prefix meaning extremely small. When quantifiable, it translates to one-billionth.



BLACKFIRE SiO2 Spray Sealant
BLACKFIRE SiO2 uses nano particles size silicone dioxide in an resin base to create a glass-like protective coating over your car's paint. This spray-on, wipe-off silicone dioxide sealant provides longer lasting and better protection than traditional carnauba waxes and conventional synthetic sealants. It creates a hydrophobic or water-shedding surface that creates high surface tension for excellent water beading characteristics as well as a self-cleaning effect. Practical characteristics you will notice is a glassy appearance with faster washing and drying with the car staying cleaner longer in-between normal washings.


My review
This is a very substantial spray-on SiO2 Paint Sealant. By the word substantial, I mean this isn't a booster type product but the real deal as in a real sealant that can be used as a stand-alone paint sealant or as a maintenance product for previously applied ceramic coatings. While best appearance results are achieved when used on paint in excellent condition, you can theoretically apply it to swirled-out paint if you so wish. The paint MUST be clean and free from contaminants before application, this can be as simple as washing the car to remove loose dirt and claying it to remove any accumulated above surface bonded contaminants. So the condition of paint you use it on is completely up to you as you can use it on paint from one extreme to the other. (See page 37 of my how-to book, "The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine")

To test this product out, we washed, clayed and then compounded and polished my co-worker's 2010 Cadillac CTS with the factory basecoat/clearcoat paint finish. No chemical stripping was performed to the paint after wiping off the polish, however the paint was wiped using a waterless wash.


My observations
A little product goes a long ways, that is if you use the technique I describe below and you should. I point this out because if you spray this down like a spray detailer you're going to have a LOT of the substantial active components of this product on the paint and this will simply waste product and make wipe-off difficult. If you mist down a fine spray pattern, spread it out using the technique I share, then immediately switch to a clean, dry microfiber towel the SiO2 Spray Sealant will wipe off easy and leave a very clear, streak-free protected finish. The finish left behind is slick and very hydrophobic. Like any paint protection product, the protective film left behind should not be disrupted for a window of time between 12 and 24 hours for maximum benefits.


Comments...
One of our family cars is coated with a ceramic coating and in-between normal washing I use either a booster product, (which I like), or the Pinnacle Black Label Surface Coating, which is a dedicated ceramic coating. I'm very happy with these products and this regimen on this daily driver car and for this reason I'm not going to switch over to anything else including this product.

That said, if you're looking for a easy to use SiO2 sealant in a spray-on, wipe-off form, I would recommend this product for you. I may use it on one of our other daily drivers that I currently maintain wit a one-step cleaner/wax because it's fast and easy to apply and would provide longer lasting protection than that availing in the one-step cleaner/wax.



How to apply and remove the BLACKFIRE SiO2 Spray Sealant

Before I get into the step-by-step directions, first I want to share my technique for applying and removing spray-on products. It's a very simple technique but if you don't know about it you can find yourself FIGHTING YOURSELF trying to apply any spray-on liquid and the reason why is because when using a DRY microfiber towel to spread out a WET liquid, at the same time you're trying to spread the product out the DRY microfiber towel is trying to absorb and remove it. This is working against yourself and your goal of spreading a thin film over the surface.


So instead, try this...

Mike's Technique Tip
Start by DAMPENING one side of a folded microfiber towel with the product you're applying. This way the side you're going to apply the sealant with is already dampened with the product. If you don't do this, then trying to SPREAD out a liquid, (the SiO2 Spray Sealant), with a clean dry microfiber towel is a tick more difficult because the same time you're trying to spread out the liquid - the DRY microfiber towel is trying to remove it via absorption. So start by dampening one side of a folded microfiber towel and then use this SAME side to apply and spread out the SiO2 Spray Sealant over all the painted body panels. I'm fairly confident you'll find this technique works so much better than trying to spread out a liquid with a dry towel.



Directions

Now with the technique explained, here's how to apply and remove this product


Step 1: Spray some of the SiO2 Spray Sealant onto a section of paint.

Step 2: Using your towel dampened with the SiO2 Spray Sealant, gently spread the sealant over the section to be treated.

Step 3: Switch to your second, clean DRY microfiber towels and buff that section to a dry, high shine.


When moving onto a new section of paint, overlap just a little into the previous section for uniform coverage. Repeat this process until you have applied and wiped-off the sealant to all the car's body panels. Now let's walk through the above process with pictures starting with my technique for using spray-on sealants...



First, using my technique shared above, dampen one side of a clean, microfiber towel folded 4-ways.





This side is now damp with the SiO2 Spray Sealant

Here's another technique tip - grab the EDGES of your microfiber towel by CLAMPING them between your thumb on one side...





And your index finger on the other side like you see here. Then pull up the edge a little and spread the rest of your hand and fingers out over the back of the towel. By doing this you're able to firmly grip your towel while maximizing your handprint while wiping.





Step 1: Spray some of the SiO2 Spray Sealant onto a section of paint.













Step 2: Using your towel dampened with the SiO2 Spray Sealant, gently spread the sealant over the section to be treated.












The goal is to gently spread-out a uniform film of the SiO2 Spray Sealant











Step 3: Switch to your second, clean DRY microfiber towels and buff that section to a dry, high shine.

















IF you can make black paint look great you can make any color of paint look great!




















And water beading is excellent too!






On Autogeek.com


BLACKFIRE SiO2 Spray Sealant







p.s.


I thought this would be my first headless review in the almost 10 years of working here at Autogeek. But about halfway through taking pictures Elliot (our social media guy), snuck a portion of my head into one of the pictures.