SiO2-based ceramic coatings utilise silicon dioxide, which is commonly known as silica or quartz and the main ingredient you’ll find in glass and ceramic glazes. This natural chemical compound is capable of forming extremely strong chemical bonds with almost any surface to create a supremely hard barrier that’s impervious to moisture, grime, chemicals and environmental contamination. SiO2 protection is also extremely difficult to remove during normal day-to-day driving, the chief reason why ceramic coatings always offer the ultimate in durability.
Deep down on a molecular level, the bonded SiO2 layer smooths out microscopic recesses in the surface to leave a perfectly level hydrophobic barrier that's completely smooth, this gives water, dirt and other foreign molecules nothing to cling onto. Because of these advanced properties, water will simply bead or run off the surface and particulates aren’t able to stick, this also stops potentially harmful contaminants from penetrating penetrate, guarding the more sensitive surfaces (such as paintwork and trim) from the onset of corrosion, oxidation and fading. Any surface that’s been protected with a coating will repel foreign contaminants, allowing them to either slide off or simply sit on top of the ceramic layer without being able to penetrate or bond, making the vehicle far easier to clean on the next maintenance wash.
SiO2 coatings are also engineered to be perfectly clear, and this means that light is able to pass through unobstructed and then bounce back to the eye uniformly without diffracting in different directions, in a similar way to a car wax this gives the appearance of a significantly deeper, glossier surface.