Blog: Graphene Ceramic Coating™ Explained

[Dan@Adams]

Hey everyone! I wrote this technical article for the website a few weeks ago. A big thank you to our creative and marketing teams for making it look much more presentable with nice photos and layout design. 

 

Preparation Instructions

Prep for Paint

1. Thoroughly wash the vehicle using a shampoo without any protection additives like Adam’s Car Shampoo or Mega Foam, or through a Waterless Wash or Rinseless Wash process.
   a. Use a Foam Cannon or Foam Gun if possible, as well as a Two Bucket Wash Method with Grit Guards.
   b. Use multiple clean towels if performing a Waterless or Rinseless Wash.
   c. The safer you are in the wash process, the less chance of wash-induced marring or scratching.

2. (Optional) Perform iron decontamination with Iron Remover if necessary, by referencing our videos and other blog write-ups.

3. Thoroughly rinse and dry the vehicle with an Ultra Plush Drying Towel or Air Cannon.

4. Mask off any plastic and rubber areas that come in contact with paint, using detailing tape or painter’s tape.

5. Remove bonded contamination with a Clay Bar or Clay Mitt using Detail Spray as a lubricant.

6. Wipe away clay residue with a clean microfiber towel and Surface Prep.

7. Perform paint correction with a machine polisher by referencing our videos and other blog write-ups.
   a. Remove previous protection with Compound and a Microfiber Cutting Pad.
   b. Remove oxidation, swirl marks, light scratches and other imperfections using various stages of Compound and Polish with their respective pads.
   c. Always do a test area first. Every vehicle will need a different level of correction.
   d. The better you make the surface look in compounding and polishing, the better the graphene ceramic coating will look in the end. Coatings do not fill in or hide swirl marks and other imperfections.

8. Wipe away Compound and Polish residue with a clean microfiber towel.

9. Move the vehicle indoors if you have not already done so for claying/compounding/polishing. Remove any Compound and Polish dust from body panels, body seams, etc. using a clean microfiber towel and Surface Prep.

Prep for Glass

1. Clean exterior glass using Adam’s Glass Cleaner and Green Microfiber Glass Scrubbing Towel.
2. Clay glass with a clay bar or clay mitt using Glass Cleaner as the clay lubricant.
3. (Optional) Polish the glass with our white Polish or Hand Polish with a Blue Hex Grip Applicator. Wipe away residue with a clean microfiber towel.
4. Use a second clean Glass Towel with Surface Prep to ensure the glass is 100% clean.

Prep for Wheels

 

NOTE: If you are coating a set of new wheels, we strongly recommend coating the wheels after the tires have been mounted and balanced. Wheel weights can have difficulty sticking and can fall off if you coat the wheels before mounting and balancing the tires.

1. If you wish to coat the outer and inner portions of the wheel, carefully remove the wheel from the vehicle after lifting the vehicle and securing it with jack stands.
2. Heavy brake dust: Thoroughly clean the wheels using Adam’s Wheel Cleaner or Adam’s Wheel & Tire Cleaner, with the Short Wheel Brush, Trim & Lug Nut Brush, and Wheel Woolie for the inner barrel.
3. Light brake dust or light dirt: Thoroughly clean the wheels using a shampoo without any protection additives like Adam’s Car Shampoo or Mega Foam or Adam’s Eco Wheel Cleaner with the Short Wheel Brush, Trim & Lug Nut Brush, and Wheel Woolie for the inner barrel.
4. Thoroughly rinse the brushes or scrub them on a Grit Guard in a wash bucket multiple times throughout the cleaning process as they become dirty. You do not want to continue scrubbing dirt into other parts of the wheels and possibly scratching them.
5. Thoroughly rinse and dry the wheels with a Mini Plush Drying Towel, Air Cannon, or Blaster Sidekick.
6. (Optional) On clear coated, chrome, or gloss powder coated wheels, remove bonded contamination with a Clay Bar or Clay Mitt using Detail Spray as a lubricant.
   a. Wipe away clay residue with a clean microfiber towel and Surface Prep.
   b. Perform paint correction with the Swirl Killer Mini or Swirl Killer Micro Polisher by referencing our videos and other blog write-ups.
   c. Remove previous protection with Compound and a Blue Foam Pad.
   d. Remove oxidation, swirl marks, light scratches and other imperfections using various stages of Compound and Polish with their respective pads, or Metal Polish for chrome wheels.
   e. Always do a test area first. Every wheel will need a different level of correction.
   f. The better you make the surface look in compounding and polishing, the better the graphene ceramic coating will look in the end. Coatings do not fill in or hide swirl marks and other imperfections.
   g. Wipe away Compound/Polish/Metal Polish residue with a clean microfiber towel.
7. Use a clean microfiber towel with Surface Prep to ensure the wheel is 100% clean.

 

Prep for Trim & Plastic

1. Remove any detailing tape or painter’s tape from the plastic and rubber trim.
2. Clean exterior plastic trim and rubber using Adam’s Trim Cleaner or Tire & Rubber Cleaner with an Edgeless Utility Towel.
   a. Fold the towel into fourths. Spray the cleaner directly into the towel, not onto the surface, to avoid over spray onto surrounding paint and glass areas that may have already been cleaned/polished/prepped.
   b. Use one side of the towel to scrub away dirt, oxidation, and previous dressings. Use a dry side of the towel to wipe away excess residue.
   c. (Optional) Use a Deep Clean Eraser in place of the Edgeless Utility Towel for very heavy cleaning. Test first to ensure the eraser does not scratch soft plastic.
   d. Clean the plastic until you no longer see new dirt/discoloration in the towel.
3. If there are white/chalky wax or sealant stains in plastic trim, you may need to repeat the above cleaning steps multiple times before all discoloration is removed.
   a. You do not want to coat over any stains or discoloration in plastic.
   b. The coating will not hide the stains, and then they would be locked in underneath the coating.
4. Use a second clean Edgeless Utility Towel and generously clean the area with Surface Prep to ensure all Trim Cleaner or Tire & Rubber Cleaner has been removed.

 

Application Instructions

Application for Paint, Glass, Wheels, and Chrome

 

NOTE: Rubber gloves are strongly recommended for applying a ceramic coating, and a pair are included with the Graphene Ceramic Coating Kit.

1. Move the vehicle (or wheels if coating wheels only) indoors into a garage.
   a. This minimizes dust and moisture exposure, as well as provides a more consistent temperature.
   b. Use multiple light sources at various angles to work more effectively and see the coating flashing more easily on lighter colored finishes.
2. Generously wipe the surface with Surface Prep and a Borderless Grey Towel. The Surface Prep will evaporate to a degree while wiping - this is normal.  
3. Thoroughly shake the Graphene Ceramic Coating 60ml bottle or the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating 12oz bottle to mix the solution evenly.
4. Graphene Ceramic Coating: Pour several drops of the coating onto one side of the Suede Applicator Block. Do not use the side that is stitched together. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: Facing away from the vehicle, mist 2 or 3 sprays into the Microfiber Applicator Block.
5. Apply the coating to a panel in an even manner.
   a. We recommend outlining the panel first, then pour/spray a little more into the applicator and fill in the remainder of the panel by applying in overlapping left/right or up/down passes.
   b. Try not to lift the applicator from the surface when applying the coating. Lifting the applicator will expose it to more oxygen and leave heavier spots of coating in those sections, which can possibly become high-spots later on.
   c. If you apply in a left/right path first, then do another pass in an up/down path. You do not need to apply more coating into the applicator at this point - you just want to spread it for more even and complete coverage.
6. After a few moments, the coating will begin to have an oily, rainbow-like appearance as it begins to flash on the surface.
7. Once the coating becomes slightly tacky on the surface, gently wipe the coating with a new, clean Suede Microfiber Towel to remove approximately 50% of the coating residue or more.a. The time in which it is ok to remove the coating residue can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes or more, depending on temperature and humidity.
   b. If the Suede Microfiber Towel seems to glide very easily without any slight tension, let the coating flash for another 30 seconds and test again.
   c. One other way to verify that the coating is ok to wipe off is when the rainbow effect begins to fade into a more clear look on the surface.
8. Wait another 20-30 seconds, and then take a new, clean Borderless Grey Towel to thoroughly wipe away all remaining coating residue.
9. Repeat the above steps for the remaining, body panels, glass, or wheels.
10. Inspect all areas of the vehicle to ensure all coating residue has been removed.
    a. Use the UV LED Light to inspect coated areas for complete coverage. Some areas may appear to glow more heavily than others. You may see streaking, or overlap lines with the UV Glow Tracer - as long as the coating residue has been fully removed, these inconsistencies that are seen with the UV Glow Tracer will not show up under normal light.
    b. Temporarily move the vehicle outside to inspect it under natural lighting, both sunlight and overcast conditions if possible. No matter how much lighting you have in your garage, you will most likely see a few high-spots that you did not notice indoors. Polarized sunglasses can also aid in spotting high-spots.
    c. To correct any high-spots or other issues, please see the next section of this blog.
    d. Move the vehicle back indoors.
11. Allow the coating to cure indoors for the required minimum time frame.
    a. Graphene Ceramic Coating: 24 hours
    b. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: 4-6 hours or longer if possible

 

Application for Textured Plastic and Rubber

 

NOTE: Rubber gloves are strongly recommended for applying a ceramic coating, and a pair are included with the Graphene Ceramic Coating Kit.

1. Move the vehicle indoors into a garage.
   a. This minimizes dust and moisture exposure, as well as provides a more consistenttemperature.
   b. Use multiple light sources at various angles to work more effectively.
2. Generously wipe the plastic or rubber surface with Surface Prep and an Edgeless Utility Towel. The Surface Prep will evaporate to a degree while wiping - this is normal. If the plastic or rubber trim does not appear to have a uniform color appearance after the Surface Prep is fully dry, go back to the PREP Steps and clean the area again before continuing.
3. Thoroughly shake the Graphene Ceramic Coating 60ml bottle or the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating 12oz bottle to mix the solution evenly.
4. Graphene Ceramic Coating: Pour several drops of the coating onto one side of the Suede Applicator Block. Do not use the side that is stitched together. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: Facing away from the vehicle, mist 2 or 3 sprays into the Microfiber Applicator Block.
5. Apply the coating to the plastic or rubber trim in an even manner.
6. Use the applicator to level the coating evenly across the rubber or plastic, so that it appears uniform, rather than having some areas heavier or shinier than other areas.
7. Allow the coating to flash and soak into the surface for 30-60 seconds. It will not rainbow as it does on paint, glass, and chrome.
8. Use a clean Edgeless Utility Towel to thoroughly wipe the plastic or rubber trim to ensure that all solvent from the coating has been removed.
9. Allow the coating to cure indoors for the required minimum time frame.
   a. Graphene Ceramic Coating: 24 hours
   b. Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating: 4-6 hours or longer if possible

 

 

 

 

 

We hope this in-depth blog and reference videos help to clear up any confusion or hesitation you may have on our Graphene Ceramic Coating™. You can take a look at our reduced graphene oxide products HERE. Please let us know below if you have any questions!

[WonderWoman25502]

I assume the strip wash and claying also applies to the non graphene ceramic coating?

[falcaineer]

3 hours ago, WonderWoman25502 said:

I assume the strip wash and claying also applies to the non graphene ceramic coating?

 

Correct. Prep is everything with a coating.

[Mantis]

Awesome write up. Clears a lot of things up. I'm one of those people who are on the fence about using an actual coating so I stick to the spray coatings. I feel safer using them.

[aa146]

So I did a coating of the graphene spray coating a few months back on my vehicle - wheels too (oem - clear coated), now I'm looking to go all in and do the full graphene ceramic coating, am I going to run into any issues since the spray coating is already on my vehicle/wheels?  Is prepping the vehicle any different?  Any extra steps I need to consider?

Edited June 28, 2021 by aa146

[falcaineer]

1 hour ago, aa146 said:

So I did a coating of the graphene spray coating a few months back on my vehicle - wheels too (oem - clear coated), now I'm looking to go all in and do the full graphene ceramic coating, am I going to run into any issues since the spray coating is already on my vehicle/wheels?  Is prepping the vehicle any different?  Any extra steps I need to consider?

 

You'll want to remove the Graphene Ceramic Spray Coating first using a machine polisher, then prep and reapply the traditional coating. Doing otherwise won't allow the coating to fully bond.

[aa146]

@falcaineer Thanks for the advice, so I can basically treat it as a paint correction then.  Another question, so I have a front end clear bra, how would you go about removing the previous coating?

[RayS]

@aa146 You need to get the vehicle back to the state prior to applying the spray coating.  Then you'll start from the point of a vehicle that needs correction, prep and then coating.  According to how well the spray coating comes off, you may not have much correction or polishing to do, but given the point that the full coating is there for a longer period, you'll want to make sure it is right before application.

[The Guz]

21 hours ago, aa146 said:

@falcaineer Thanks for the advice, so I can basically treat it as a paint correction then.  Another question, so I have a front end clear bra, how would you go about removing the previous coating?

 

PPF can be lightly polished without any issues.  

[falcaineer]

1 hour ago, The Guz said:

 

PPF can be lightly polished without any issues.  

 

Yes, and by "lightly," I'd clarify to say one quick pass with Polish and white pad if using a machine. Too much heat and you can affect the glue.

[aa146]

@RayS@The Guz@falcaineer Perfect, just the answers I needed!  Thank you guys for the info!  Looks like I will have a busy weekend ahead of me!

[aa146]

Sorry guys, more questions..

 

So I finally had some time to look over my vehicle and mentally prep/plan.  I realized that while the applicator is soft and squeezable, it is still a bit bulky when it comes to fitting in between wheel spokes, the grille (F-Sport grille - not much surface area on the face of the grille but the walls of the mesh/honeycomb area is where it can get fairly dirty), etc.

 

What would you recommend using to coat tight spots, intricate designs, and hard to access places?

[RayS]

14 hours ago, aa146 said:

Sorry guys, more questions..

 

So I finally had some time to look over my vehicle and mentally prep/plan.  I realized that while the applicator is soft and squeezable, it is still a bit bulky when it comes to fitting in between wheel spokes, the grille (F-Sport grille - not much surface area on the face of the grille but the walls of the mesh/honeycomb area is where it can get fairly dirty), etc.

 

What would you recommend using to coat tight spots, intricate designs, and hard to access places?

The grills on many vehicles are a challenge.   Between the daughters Jag and wife's Denali, they both have tight honeycomb grills, with the Jag being the one that is the most difficult.  While the Adam's Wheel Woolies are excellent, they do not make one small enough for the grill openings and I have one that I use exclusively for cleaning them.  It looks similar to this one, but mine happens to be red.  Hopefully, Adam's will add a small one like this in the future.

 

I just sit down on my step stool and clean each opening in the grill and yes it does take a while.   For the applicator for the small areas, I use the bag rags and while wearing disposable gloves, I spay the coating on the rag, then wipe it around the opening and go on to the next slot.  I try to do about 10 to 15 openings going left to right starting with the top row.  Then wait a couple of minutes and use a microfiber cloth to remove the excess.  The grill's can easily take as much time as the rest of the front clip combined. 

 

Here is the Jag's grill, which I'm sure you can see took a while to complete.  The good point is that once you've spent all the time coating it, the junk that accumulates when driving just rinses off, so it was certainly worth the effort.

[falcaineer]

17 hours ago, aa146 said:

Sorry guys, more questions..

 

So I finally had some time to look over my vehicle and mentally prep/plan.  I realized that while the applicator is soft and squeezable, it is still a bit bulky when it comes to fitting in between wheel spokes, the grille (F-Sport grille - not much surface area on the face of the grille but the walls of the mesh/honeycomb area is where it can get fairly dirty), etc.

 

What would you recommend using to coat tight spots, intricate designs, and hard to access places?

 

2 hours ago, RayS said:

The grills on many vehicles are a challenge.   Between the daughters Jag and wife's Denali, they both have tight honeycomb grills, with the Jag being the one that is the most difficult.  While the Adam's Wheel Woolies are excellent, they do not make one small enough for the grill openings and I have one that I use exclusively for cleaning them.  It looks similar to this one, but mine happens to be red.  Hopefully, Adam's will add a small one like this in the future.

 

I just sit down on my step stool and clean each opening in the grill and yes it does take a while.   For the applicator for the small areas, I use the bag rags and while wearing disposable gloves, I spay the coating on the rag, then wipe it around the opening and go on to the next slot.  I try to do about 10 to 15 openings going left to right starting with the top row.  Then wait a couple of minutes and use a microfiber cloth to remove the excess.  The grill's can easily take as much time as the rest of the front clip combined. 

 

Here is the Jag's grill, which I'm sure you can see took a while to complete.  The good point is that once you've spent all the time coating it, the junk that accumulates when driving just rinses off, so it was certainly worth the effort.

 

You can use the Interior Detailing Swabs for tight spaces.

 

https://adamspolishes.com/collections/interior-cleaning-accessories/products/adam-s-interior-detailing-swabs-15-pack

 

[aa146]

@RayS That's what I initially did when I spray coated the vehicle, still works great, like you said minimal maintenance.  I just wasn't sure if I should even try to attempt a full ceramic coating on the grille.

 

@falcaineer Those would actually be perfect for tight spaces, I will have to try them next time around, I don't think I'll be able to get them by this weekend.  What would you do/use to coat a grille?

[cfbackrow]

can I coat the whole glass roof of a tesla model 3? Supposedly they treat the roof glass with chemicals and I don't want any bad interactions 

[CJO]

I saw the recommendation about applying coatings in a garage.  What do you do if you don't have access to a garage?  I'm currently in an apartment until my house is built. 

 

Also, I had planned to do the wash, paint prep and application in the evening, so that the heat of the day doesn't affect the application, but I'm worried about morning dew.  Would I be better doing the wash and paint prep one evening and then the coating in the morning so that it has about 20 hours of cure time before the next morning dew?  I'm going to be applying the Advanced Graphene coating, if that makes a differentce.

 

Thanks!