Other SMAT Compounds and Polishes

[Setec Astronomy]

OK... so are these products and abrasives actually new... or is the marketing terminology the new bit?

Isn't it probably some combination? Like "SMAT" abrasives were around for a long time, but they were too big or too irregularly sized to use in a car polish...so someone decided/figured out how to mill/create them smaller and/or more uniformly sized.

I mean sandpaper has been around for a long time, but "unigrit" less long...so was there perceived to be no market for that originally, or no one had found a way to sieve out the grit to be more uniform, or it was just too expensive until someone found a cheaper way to do it?

On the other hand, I was looking up the active ingredient in the color changing wheel cleaners, and found that it doesn't just smell like the chemical used for perming hair, it IS the chemical used for perming hair. And it's been around industrially and cosmetically forever, but for some reason only a few years in wheel cleaners. Maybe because it took this long for some marketing genius to decide he could convince us 'Geeks to spend that much money on wheel cleaners.

 

[builthatch]

OK... so are these products and abrasives actually new... or is the marketing terminology the new bit?

As far as we can gather, there is a large range of abrasives which have been in use for polishing for a rather long time. Terminology like SMAT/DAT/AAT/etc. is utterly unknown to the big abrasive manufacturers - so these terms are undoubtedly creations of car care brand marketers. So you need to ask yourselves whether the abrasives they are using are actually new or not. Having discussed this at length with the supply chain, they believe that they would have numerous abrasives which could be considered to me SMAT and a number which would be DAT. As above, these are not new abrasives and have been used in polishes for decades. So, I am inclined to suggest that there are any number of products out there which use these various technologies but you will have no idea what they use, simply because the terminology is invented and (since not all brands will be familiar with this invented marketing speak) thus many products will simply not try to use this marketing approach.

Frankly, I am left suspecting that the whole topic is rather disingenuous.

part of it is a way for us to decide how a polish will behave and how it should be used.

as far as the actual acronyms, some companies only discuss the abrasives when asked, so i don't know how much marketing is involved in the topic of these types or "brands" of abrasives at this point. one company in particular seems to be at the forefront of the discussion, but that could very well be due to their initial marketing of differing types of abrasives (and possible branding of one) that as you say could have been around for quite some time, but only improved over time (hopefully...and likely). it's possible a certain manufacturer actively pursued a non-diminishing abrasive that works better for cut AND finish when it's uniform and much, much smaller, and thus, adding it to their detailing chemicals to improve the product's performance. and then they decided to name this technology something much more unique than non-diminishing abrasive. regardless, i find that the greater focus overall is on a more quantifiable set of features, such as quality of initial cut combined with superior finishing result, etc. combined into one no dusting polish with extended working time...stuff like that.

there is no question that the abrasive potions we have access to in the detailing world are vastly improved over what was available just a few years ago, let alone further back. so, whatever they are terming these things, the tech or how it's assorted is getting better.

 

[cardaddy]

....
On the other hand, I was looking up the active ingredient in the color changing wheel cleaners, and found that it doesn't just smell like the chemical used for perming hair, it IS the chemical used for perming hair. And it's been around industrially and cosmetically forever, but for some reason only a few years in wheel cleaners.....

And having grown up in a family that owned 3 beauty salons throughout the 60's, 70's, and 80's (I was married and out of the house by 77) working in them either as a helper, (or when school was out as a shampoo guy) I'm all to familiar with that GAWD-AWEFUL smell. :laughing:

OTOH, had I known then what I know now I'd have gone into that business when my Mother suggested it. Back then, the now famous Vidal Sassoon would travel the country in his station wagon, coming to your salon for $150 a day and teach hair cutting. My Mother hired him twice! However..... being young, dumb, and full of testosterone the whole idea seemed a bit less manly and overtly 'limp wristed' for me.