Q & A with Dr. G of Optimum:
Dr. G, It was great having an opportunity to talk with you at Detail Fest again this year. I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer for everyone. This Q&A will be posted online in my Coatings Review and Extreme Testing article.
Corey, It was a great pleasure seeing you again also and congratulations on the well deserved award you won for your thorough forum reviews. Your questions here are a prime example of your thoroughness which is partly due to your engineering background.
I also want to thank Chris for doing a superb job of explaining how to apply Opti-Coat to make the process easier and more effective for all users.
1.-What would be the consequences of using more than light pressure to buff off high spots or ridges within minutes of application?
When applying Opti-Coat 2.0, the best results are achieved with an even and continuous coat. If you have any high spots, it will be hazy and stays hazy after curing. Using the foam applicator with light pressure helps even out the high spots while using too much pressure can release more product from the sponge and would defeat the purpose. Alternatively a microfiber towel can be used to remove the excess product, however, with this approach there is a possibility of removing all the resins.
2.-Approximately how many microns will Opti-Coat 2.0 add to paint?
By using the contents of the syringe on a large SUV, it will add 2-3 microns of Opti-Coat to the paint. For smaller cars you can achieve the same results with less product.
3.-Can Opti-Coat 2.0 be applied to single stage paints of any age?
Opti-Coat 2.0 was designed for clearcoat paint and it should be applied after the paint defects are removed. We have not done any long term testing with this product on single stage paint.
There are several professional detailers that have applied Opti-Coat to single stage paint after removing all the defects and oxidation with great results. They might be able to provide more information on this application but the main purpose of this product is to protect clearcoat from the elements and premature failure due to over-polishing.
4.-Consider a car with older single stage paint that is badly oxidized and faded and then polished to perfection and brought back to glossy condition. Can Opti-Coat 2.0 lock in the gloss or have any effect stopping the paint from regressing to its faded condition?
Please refer to the previous answer.
5.-Can Opti-Coat 2.0 be used on leather, vinyl, and interior plastics?
Absolutely not. Opti-Coat 2.0 is designed for use on exterior automotive surfaces only. It cross-links and forms a hard clear film therefore it should not be applied to flexible substrates including leather, vinyl, soft tops, tire, etc.
6.-What would be the outcome if Opti-Coat 2.0 was applied to a properly cleaned tire?
Please refer to the previous answer.
7.-I understand using Optimum Poliseal with a foam-finishing pad is the acceptable method of cleaning the coating down the road. Is this correct?
Yes, you can use Poli-Seal by hand or with a foam finishing pad to clean Opti-Coat or to add additional gloss.
8.-Are other Optimum products, such as OptiClean and Optimum No Rinse friendly with Opti-Coat 2.0? If they are friendly do they require any adaptation in their application compared with how they are used on non-coated paint.
Yes, we design all our products to be compatible with each other to make the process easier and that includes the products you mentioned as well as other Optimum products such as Optimum Car Wax, Opti-Seal, Instant Detailer, etc.
9.-What temperatures will cured Opti-Coat 2.0 withstand before failing?
Opti-Coat 2.0 forms ceramic bonds (Si-C) at very high temperatures and will not be damaged by extreme heat. Therefore, it can be used to protect wheels, brake calipers, engine compartments without any issues.
10.-Assuming its kept indoors in 65-78 degrees what is the shelf life of Opti-Coat 2.0 before being opened by the consumer?
Opti-Coat 2.0 has an infinite shelf life as long as moisture is not introduced into the product.
11.-If only some of the syringe is used and it is properly resealed with the cap what will the remaining shelf life be? Assume its kept indoors in 65-78 degrees.
Please refer to the previous answer.
12.-Can a small touchup spot of Opti-Coat 2.0 be applied over a previously Opti-coated panel. For instance: If you get a rock chip in your paint and need to touch it up then want to recoat the touched up area with Opti-coat can you simply apply OC to that one small area? Would there be any negative affects where the touch-up OC overlapped the existing OC?
Once Opti-Coat cures, it will repel most everything even the fresh resin. If you have to recoat a section, you will have to polish the entire panel first with Optimum Polish or Optimum Finish. Then, you will need to wipe the panel down with a damp microfiber towel to remove any residue before reapplying Opti-Coat 2.0 to the entire panel.
Thank you so much for your work on this innovative product and as always thank you for taking the time to answer my questions in such an insightful manner.
Corey, I appreciate the time you put into testing and educating forum members on how to use and benefit from different automotive appearance products. As a paint chemist, I was always puzzled why people over-polish their car paint and cause the paint to fail prematurely (we all have seen examples of clearcoat failure). Opti-Coat 2.0 is the most effective way to avoid premature failure of clearcoats.
Our research team spent over 4 years developing and testing Opti-Coat before it was released for professional use and another 3 years to develop Opti-Coat 2.0 for consumer use. This coating has better scratch and mar resistance, better UV resistance, and better chemical resistance than factory clears. Therefore the effects of the elements on Opti-Coat 2.0 is far less than factory clears and there will be much less need for polishing once this is applied on top of the existing clear. Even if you do remove Opti-Coat 2.0 by polishing, you can easily replace it by adding another coat.
