Graphene Protection

[mborner]

It seems I don`t get by these boards too often but every once in a while I`ll swing by and see something I`ve never seen before. So I was at Walmart the other day and I saw something on their clearance rack called "Rain-X Spray Wax with Graphene" I`ve never seen the word Graphene before. I bought it just so I could spruce up my Wife`s car after a good washing. I know how Rain-X works on glass but I could not believe how slick graphene left the paint. Doing a little research, it seems Graphene is often compared to a coating. Can that be right? A spray wax comparing to a coating. So, the Graphene in Rain-X isn`t really coating worthy, is it? Is Rain-X being a little over zealous in saying that there is actually graphene in the product, or is the level of graphene in the product so small that it`s mostly insignificant? I guess my biggest question would be; how well does it protect paint? I don`t care how slick it is, how well it looks, how long it lasts. My only concern is how well it protects paint from the elements. I had a bad experience once with a big name sealant that pretty much ruined my paint. What else can you tell me about spray wax with graphene?
Thanks.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Um...well...I guess the big buzzword of the last few years is "graphene", taking over from the buzz that started 15 years or so ago around the word "ceramic".

If you were active here back at the time it shows you joined (2006), then you remember when spray waxes and then spray sealants started to appear, and there was a lot of discussion as to whether these really protected as well as a "real" wax or sealant...and generally the answer was no, that they were "diluted down" versions to allow them to be sprayable. And then of course came the WOWO sealants, and there was the same disagreements over those, although it became apparent that whatever technology had allowed WOWA sealants to exist showed that the actual protective ingredients could be delivered in a "lighter" carrier, and rival a "real" sealant. These WOWA sealants foreshadowed coatings and how they would be applied.

So if you follow that along, to where a ceramic or graphene-based coating could be much more durable than a wax or a sealant, then a "diluted" version of that, as a spray product, could be pretty good. There has been plenty of buzz on here about the Turtle Wax graphene products, not sure about the Rain-X. I haven`t jumped on the bandwagon with a lot of the newer products for a variety of reasons, but I guess one thing to bear in mind, from my perspective, is that back in the day, slickness and beading frequently had little relation to protection against bird bombs (and of course every bird bomb is different, it makes a difference sun/shade, hot/cold, etc.).

PS--fellow members, back in the day, there was some criticism of products that caused extreme beading as they could cause "acid rain spotting". No one talks about acid rain anymore...is that because it`s not a thing anymore, because all the old coal powerplants are gone? Or have our protection products just improved so it`s not an issue? Or was it never an issue? And we had spotting from unresolved bird bombs etc.?

 

[mborner]

Thanks for your feedback, Setec. I guess experience is the best way to evaluate a product. Since my Wife`s car remains outside, her car will be the test mule.