Car paint is meant to be on the vehicle’s body for a lifetime. While mainly seen as an aesthetic element, the main purpose of automotive paints and coatings is to protect the car body from rust, sunlight, dust and rain. Quality car paints can extend the lifespan of the vehicle’s body by preventing corrosion of the material underneath.
In this guide, we will cover all you need to know about car paints. Its composition, types and process.
COMPOSITION OF CAR PAINTS
Automotive paints are made of three basic components:
- Pigment: Provides the colour to the paint
- Thinner: Ensures the consistency of the paint
- Binder: Binds the pigment and thinner
Moreover, there are chemical compositions of car paints. The following are chemical compositions of car paints:
URETHANE
The urethane car paint is one of the long-lasting paint options. Moreover, urethane paints don’t fade for more than 10 years but they are more expensive than other paints having different chemical composition.
ACRYLIC ENAMEL
The acrylic enamel car paint lasts a long time as it creates a hard shell on the car’s body. They are not easy to apply and require an experience and professional car painter.
ACRYLIC LACQUER
Auto manufacturers have used acrylic lacquer car paints in the earlier vehicle models. Acrylic lacquer paints provide a high gloss to the car’s body but they don’t last long and fade when exposed to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun.
ACRYLIC URETHANE
It is one of the new options for car paints. Water-based polyurethane enamel paints are most commonly used as they are environmental-friendly car paints.
STAGES OF CAR PAINTS
The following are stages of car paints and they all are equally important for a proper and finished look:
PRIMER
The first stage, primer, is also known as pre-coat. Primer is composed of urethane or epoxy providing following advantages:
- It reduces the use of oil for protecting the body from rust and corrosion.
- It helps in levelling the surface of the body.
- Primer, also helps in overcoming the minor defects.
BASE COAT
It is the colour coat for automobiles. Base coats can be dull but they can be beneficial in the following ways:
- Base coat fixes the minor dents and imperfections.
- It enhances the appearance of the body and makes it ready for the final clear coat.
CLEAR COAT
The final stage of the car paint process is a clear coat. It must be durable to resist corrosion and withstand the strong UV light. Clear coat can be categorised into two types:
- Waterborne Car Paint: These paints use water as solvent and they are not harmful to the environment. They only use 10% of solvents other than water.
- Solvent-borne Car Paint: This type of car paint uses base solvents like lacquer, urethane or enamel. They contain a high amount of volatile organic compounds. They also have environmental concerns, that’s why companies have reduced the use of solvent borne car paints.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CAR PAINT FINISHES
Auto manufacturers use different types of car paints to give a finished look to the vehicles. The following are the different types of base coat paints and each have their own pros and cons:
SOLID PAINTS
Most vehicles have a solid base coat. The solid paints come in different car paint colours, for instance, white, red, blue and black. These are followed by lacquer clear coat (solvent-borne paints) to provide an extra protective layer to the vehicle. You can have a look at used Skoda Fabia for sale in the UAE as they are base coated with solid car paints.
PROS
- They are inexpensive. Manufacturers use it to design affordable cars.
- Solid paints are easy to repair. Minor chips and scratches can be fixed with the pen of the same colour making it easy to maintain.
CONS
- They have a limited colour range consisting of only four colours.
- They can sometimes have an orange peel because of the moisture that may have affected it during the coating process.
METALLIC PAINTS
This type of car paint is similar to solid paints. However, they have metallic powder mixed in the solid paints providing a more complete and finished exterior look. You can buy second-hand BMW 3 Series in the UAE which has a metallic base coat that adds to its sleek look.
PROS
- They provide a more shiny and bright touch to the vehicle.
- Metallic paints can hide minor damages when looked from a distance and hold up together if they are maintained and cleaned regularly.
CONS
- It is more expensive than solid coats.
- Same metallic colours are much harder to find if damaged.
PEARLESCENT PAINTS
The major difference pearlescent coats have is that they use ceramic crystals mixed with solid paint instead of metallic powder. High-end auto manufacturers offer dozens of colours with pearlescent paints. You can have a look at the used Audi A6 for sale in the UAE which uses this type of car coating to provide a shiny pearl effect to the vehicle.
PROS
- They disguise the minor scuffs and minor damages.
- This type of automotive paint provides a more premium look to the vehicle providing spectacular colour effects when looked upon from different angles.
CONS
- They are more expensive than the metallic and solid car paints.
- Pearlescent paints are hard to find and the body repairs require more expense, attention and time.
MATTE FINISH
This type of automotive paint is available in premium vehicles. They add to the sleek and high-end look of any vehicle. They are typically available in black and grey colours only. You can have a look at used Tesla Model 3 for sale in the UAE as they have a matte finish to add to their premier look.
PROS
- It is one of the most premium and prestigious automotive coatings.
- The paint absorbs more light producing a dull shine which is appealing to the users.
CONS
- They are too expensive to repair.
- Matte finish requires lots of maintenance and products such as specialised polishes and shampoos for cleaning purposes.
SPECIALITY PAINTS
Various auto manufacturers use different techniques and mixtures to provide a more finished look to the car. Specialty paints also include BMW E-Ink colour changing technology which changes colours at a touch of the button. This colour changing technology uses white and black pigments and electrodes to switch from one colour to another.
These were all the different car paint types explained and the stages that they are applied in. There are different causes of car paint damage. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you visit car service centres for any upgrade or repair of car paints when you buy a used car in the UAE.
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