Volcanic ash/Acid rain paintwork etching
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| Volcanic dust particles are highly abrasive and acidic, once the ash has fallen on the paintwork there exists a real danger of damage to a vehicles clearcoat. This is more so on Japanese cars were the lacquer is often softer and thinner than its German counterparts with their advanced harder ceramic lacquer finishes.
Modern lacquer finishes by leading manufacturers such as Du Pont are able to withstand acid fallout with a sulphuric acid content upto 20%. The combination of sulphur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid content of the volcanic ash is more far more acidic than normal airborne dust, hence aggressive acid etch. Acid etch is normally seen as etch markings in the shape of water droplets with sunken edges or edge zones, if the etchings are smaller dots or thread-like, this is usually etch from tree sap, blossom resin or pollen.
Auto-Detail have now visually inspected various car makes and models from Ferrari, Aston Martin and BMW, to the ultra soft finish of the new Nissan GTR, evalulating the damage and the possible solutions. Most damage on German cars is rectifiable with skilled machine polishing, in more extreme cases the surface lacquer may first require wet sanding to remove deeper etchings. Japanese cars are more difficult to correct and in some cases are unrepairable through detailing and will require a bodyshop respray.
For more information call Auto-Detail on :07801 899 003
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