Nano-ceramic coatings: How to tell a fraud or a fake from the real McCoy

The saying ‘you get what you pay for’ certainly applies to 9H nano-ceramic coatings. While you may feel it ok to swap to a lesser-known brand of tea or coffee, when it comes to choosing your nano-ceramics, it is better to choose knowledgeably to ensure that the ingredients live up to the billing. Simon Mercer runs through a four-point checklist that allows you to sort the fake 9H nano-ceramics from the genuine articles, ensuring you get the performance you expect.

First and foremost, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. It always pays to be cautious.

Once you know what to look out for in the product description and how to check for the key performance parameters, it becomes simpler and easier to spot a fake that claims to have nano-ceramic 9H strength performance but actually contains much lower specification active ingredients.

Here are four points to include on your checklist:

1. What does it smell of? A true 9H nano-ceramic will smell of ammonium hydroxide. This is because Polysilazanes, which are crucial for effective bonding, can only be manufactured using it. If it does not smell of ammonium hydroxide, you should start to be concerned.

2. Is it sensitive to humidity? A 9H nano-ceramic is sensitive to air humidity and will react accordingly to create a chemical bond. No reaction to air humidity leads to one conclusion: it’s not a nano-ceramic

3. What type of container does it come in? 9H nano-ceramic coatings cannot be packaged in plastic bottles as the liquid may expand from temperature change during transportation, which may compromise the plastic bottle. Therefore, they should come packaged in aluminium or glass bottles – an easy visual check.

4. Take another sniff. There should be no ethanol or solvent smell, as the silane or polysiloxane technology that is used to make 9H nano-ceramics doesn’t require the use of ethanol. Ethanol is however associated with ‘normal’ SiO2 nano-coatings, so it may well be that the product doesn’t contain the nano-ceramic element.

While we live in an age of digital communications and websites, nothing beats having a conversation with a person. Speak to the supplier and check the following, as not everything is online:

• What ISO standards and other parameters has it been tested to?

• Is there a range of strengths?

• Where and for what is it already being used?

• Is the company knowledgeable?

• Any case studies available?

• Are they a credible supplier with a track record in the nano-ceramics or nano-coatings market?

Finally, comes price. Is it what you would expect to pay for the performance claimed? If it’s much less, then ask why. What’s the difference? If it’s much more, what are the added benefits? Do you need them?

Irrespective of how much you plan to use the coating, or what you want to use it for, take the time to ensure that you approach your product selection from an informed view.

Simon Mercer is with Signo-Nanocare UK Ltd.