A "new word of the day" (and it's 'associates') for 07.19.2012:
Half-Life
Definition:
-The Theory of Radioactive Decay (and Growth)…
"The Law of Decay"
-The time required for one-half of a radioactive element to decay
- A process for a way of quantifying how fast the decay of a radioactive element is occurring
(the whole/complete decaying process would, in principle, take forever to complete)
-This
"half-life decay" results in a change of the original radioactive element
into another element called: "the
daughter element".
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Poisson Distribution...after French mathematician Siméon Denis Poisson:
-In Probability Statistics: A distribution that represents the number of events
occurring randomly in a fixed time at an average rate
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Gaussian Distribution...after German mathematician and physical scientist: Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss.
In probability theory, the normal (or Gaussian) distribution is a continuous probability distribution,
that has a bell-shaped probability density function,
known as the Gaussian distribution-function---the "Bell Curve", (with its 6-Sigma assignments).
[Further put to use by
W. Edwards Deming in some of his SPC-teachings…
including world-wide OEM vehicle manufacturing]
An application of the "Bell Curve" per the following AGO thread (and others on the same subject):
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/22805-professional-detailers-list-2.html
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John Napier: A Scottish mathematician, physicist, astronomer and astrologer:
Known as the
discoverer of logarithms and the common usage of the decimal point in mathematics.
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Now, it may be asked: What does this have to do with 'Detailing', so to speak?
AS such:
-I have been quite intrigued ever since I read the posting (#36),
by
'Optimum Polymer Technologies' Dr. G...in
Largebore’s following thread,
and decided to brush-up/do-a-little-research on the subject matter:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/52781-dr-ghodoussi-where-s-beef-4.html
In part, Dr. G states…
"Obviously you have brought up a great question that has generated a good deal of discussion already.
There are several different factors that are discussed here
and I throw in my $0.002 by starting off with the UV question..."
"First let me point out that waxes and/or sealants do not block UV light
unless there are UV absorbers that are effectively incorporated in the formula.
Additionally, automotive UV absorbers which are very durable,
have a
5 year half life, meaning that every five years
the concentration is reduced by 50% percent."
"The UV absorbers we use in the Optimum Car Wax are the same as those in the clearcoat paint.
The testing we did is an ASTM standard test for automotive paint."
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Disclaimer:
The following is in no way, form, or fashion an attempt to discredit/discount Dr. G's statements.
Just curiosity on my part…Nothing else!!
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Being that I’ve always associated the term:
half-life... with radioactive elements and their atomic-structure;
and, automotive paint’s life being defined in terms such as:
life-expectancy over the course of vehicles’
service-life ;
I am, then, proposing the following questions/postulates/points-of-view:
Questions:
1. Are clear-coat paint (CC) formulations, radioactive, in and of themselves?
2. Are any of the UV absorbers/inhibitors (let’s call them 'protectors'), radioactive, in and of themselves?
3. Does the addition of these UV protectors to CC paint mix/formulations result in a radioactive paint-product?
4. Will CC paint with UV-protectors, when exposed to UV-A/B rays become radioactive,
or more radioactive (taking into consideration: questions 1,2,3 above)?
5. Are
"daughter elements" the result of CC paint 'decaying'? Are they radioactive?
6. Is radioactive-decay...random by nature.
Postulations:
1. CC paint/UV-absorbers, in their totality (properly engineered/applied/cured);
and, as such, are to be considered as: an element/atoms…are radioactive.
2. UV-rays exposure (as determined by Dr. G’s patent-approved: QUV ASTM G-53 test method)
will affect the life-cycle of the element/atoms:
"CC/UV-protectors’ed" paint.
3.
"Daughter Elements" are oxidation/CC-failure personified…They are not radioactive.
4. Elements/atoms decay randomly
5.
The hallmark of a scientific theory is not what it seems to explain, but rather what it predicts.
Points-of-View:
-Since
half-life has been specified as a process of quantifying
how fast radioactive decay/growth occurs;
and, with
Dr. G alluding to CC paint’s UV-absorbers having a half-life of
5 years;
it would seem to follow that the remaining UV-absorbers then should have:
A: 2 ½ years half-life, etc., etc---(5)+(2 ½)+(1 ¼)+(5/8)+(5/16).......
So, in theory, (and being this is a linear-decay representation), the total life
of CC paints’ UV-absorbers should be at least 10 years: (x = 5(yrs)….....n!)
-But this how we expect elements/atoms to behave! That, however is not the case.
There are limits to what we may logically deduce,
and the science/physics that govern:
"The Laws of Decay".
I believe that one must take into consideration that the: "initial speed of decay" will,
as Newton predicted, "slow down"…not be a true linear-decay, as it were.
-Instead, and because of decay "slowing down" from its initial decaying-speed,
the "time constant" should be factored into the half-life equation.
This is what’s known as:
The Mean-Life…
the defined average-
life-expectancy of radioactive elements/atoms.
Without going into too great mathematical depths…
The
mean-life equals the half-life divided by the natural
logarithm of 2...(0.693)…{RE:
John Napier}
Besides, IMO, this fact simplifies the mathematics of:
'growth and decay'. It also quantifies such an everyday idea
as the average life expectancy of an element/atoms {RE:
Poisson}:
A Poisson Distribution Chart:
This same principal applies to the growth of the "daughter-elements": oxidation/CC-failure...(inversely, though)...
-
To me, then, it can be theorized/assumed that the mean-life of the element/atoms: "CC/UV-absorbers" would be:
Half-life of 5yrs/0.693 = ……………………………7.215yrs; plus (+)
7.215/2 = 3.6075
Half-life of 3.6075yrs/0.693 = ………………….5.2056yrs; plus (+)
5.2056/2 = 2.6028
Half-life of 2.6028/0.693 = ……………………….3.7558yrs; plus (+)
WHOA!!! Wait a minute!...
We’re already way over the stated 10 years life expectancy of CC/ UV-absorbers!!
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What does this mean then (if anything)?.....(I’ll try to touch on a few points I thought of):
-When the new car salesman says: "You don’t ever have to wax your car---it’s got CC".
Is this true?
-If a person were to just keep their new vehicle clean: by utilizing proper vehicle-washing techniques…
Will their vehicles’ CC paint-film last the estimated: >15 years?
-Doesn't abrading the CC paint-film reduce the half-lives of CC/UV_absorbers?
If so, how much removal of CC, by abrasion processes, is acceptable in the half-life theme of: CC/UV absorbers preservation?
Except for 'deemed CC correction'...Why do "abrasion" at all, or ever?
-Does the application of waxes/sealants- LSP’s extend the half-lives of CC/UV-absorbers?
a. How long (years) will a person 'keep' a vehicle
b. Re-sale value
c. Personal preferences of their vehicles' appearance
-Does this in any way answer
LargeBore’s initial thread-starter question; i.e.
"Scientific evidence"…and…
Will the
urban myth, brought up by
LargeBore, that applications of LSP’s: will '‘protect' CC paint...finally be put to rest?
-If CC/UV-absorbers are radioactive...Should
Dr. G amend his statement/explanation about
half-life?
If not radioactive...Is the:
"Law of Decay", then, still applicable?
In Conclusion:
-Personally I believe that I'll keep my vehicles as clean as possible;
lightly polish the CC paint-films with products
such as cleaner-waxes/3M Imperial Hand Glaze, or their ilk;
and apply a spray wax such as Dr. G's:
Optimum Car Wax (OCW)...
until I decide to incorporate a
Coating into my "processes".
Of course; and, without a doubt:
That coating will be,
from none other than
Dr. G,
Down in Tennessee!!
-
Also...For those that did...Thanks for taking the time to read this rather protracted posting of mine.
-And, as always:
Thoughts anyone??
Bob
