Griot Garage Best Of Show System Creams: Sub-Micro Abrasives

[Brownie]

Now it`s time for some properly nerdy stuff! Here at Griot’s Garage we put in the man-hours to study the science of what you need.





Rasky asked me to go into more detail on Sub-Micron abrasives... so here it is...

Our proprietary Best Of Show System^TMCreams utilize specialized sub-micron abrasives, which more efficiently remove defects and leave a highly-refined finish. These sub-micron abrasives are created via a special process using the calcination of aluminum. Alumina is an essential abrasive material that is used for polishing a wide range of surfaces, including automotive finishes. Griot’s Garage utilizes state of the art polishing alumina technology that allows the user to effectively achieve a high cut and a high shine.




The quality of the finished surface is directly influenced by the characteristics of the alumina material that is used in polishing compounds. Alumina particles are characterized by the degree of calcination, the size of the agglomerates, the size of the primary crystals and the particle shape or structure.


Calcination is a thermal treatment process that determines the primary crystal size of the aluminum oxide particle. Higher process temperatures result in very large primary crystals and low temperatures generate small, soft primary particles.


During the calcination process, agglomerates of alumina particles form. Image what a Nerds™ Candy Rope looks like. This occurs because small dry particles exhibit electrostatic forces which cause fine alumina particles to be attracted to each other and form larger particles. During the polishing process, these agglomerates are crushed or broken down. A grinding effect or cutting is achieved as some of the material is removed from the surface. The primary crystals that remain after the agglomerates are crushed then act as polishing agents. Understand this breaking down is not like a traditional Diminishing Abrasive (DAT) commonly made up of Diatomaceous earth, but more like a Semi-Diminishing Abrasive. This technology ensures sustained cutting power through the polishing process.


Advanced sizing equipment is used by manufacturers in order to control the overall particle size distribution of the alumina material. Higher portions of larger particles contribute to coarser abrasives whereas a larger distribution of smaller particles contribute to finer abrasives. Increasing shine or depth of color are achieved with very fine, sub-micron particles. The term micron is a measurement using the International System- SI. One Micron- µm is roughly 40 millionths of an inch or one millionth (.000001) of a meter. To put it into perspective, a human hair is measured to .0889mm and a Micron is .001mm (Feature Diagram)


The shape and structure of the alumina agglomerates also influence performance. Calcined alumina grains are plate-like shaped crystals. Agglomerates of large primary crystals give good abrasion results while agglomerates of smaller crystals are useful for finishing.


Griot’s Garage employs the use of proprietary combinations of aluminum oxide grades in our polishing compound formulations in combination with optimal levels of lubricating oils and additional ingredients that ensure superior combination of good cutting with good polishing performance. Aluminum-Oxide can be processed to a point where it delivers a finish which is visibility perfect to the naked eye.


Any abrasive exceeding 1 micron in size when use in orbital machine applications will likely contribute to “micro-marring”. These are tiny scratches which follow the pattern of the random orbit and appear under hi-lumen LED lights. The micro-marring of the surface appears gray and hazy on dark finishes and detracts from the perfect clarity we all seek. These larger abrasives, although they are Aluminum-Oxide are less refined. Their manufacturing process is less involved and their cost is reduced as a result. This equates to a less expensive formula which may compel a user to acquire, later to find each step requires a subsequent step to refine the defects the previous imparted.



Sub-micron abrasives are costly, but when compared to the reduction in steps and subsequent time savings; they deliver significant value. In addition to that benefit, there is little chance for redo’s or unsatisfied customers. When combined with a high-performance oil in water emulsion which contains no fillers, what you see is what you get. That is what you get in BOSS™ Creams. Historically in order to deliver a “flawless-finish”, one would have to step up each subsequent defect imparted by the prior used abrasive with a finer abrasive, leading to 3-4 steps.




Abrasive selection impacts various performance attributes; including cut rate, duration of cut, buffing cycle (Typically impacted by oil absorption), finish quality, dusting or lack thereof, and more. Not only does size impact performance; but abrasive processing techniques and the percentage load of abrasives in the overall formula. There was exhaustive research that went into selecting the appropriate abrasives for BOSS™ Creams. Over 120 formulas were developed to identify the four final formulas…why? Because we are Driven to Perfection™.


Typical Compounds and Polishes may have 5-14% of abrasives, representing the whole of the formula. Some more costly formulas may reach 25% or more. There are limits to how much abrasive can be used in a formula, as it has a tendency to absorb the oils making up the emulsion. The emulsion simply can’t maintain suspension and lubrication of each abrasive particle. That absorption can lead to emulsion break or even caking of the abrasive on the surface, as seen below. To compensate for the abrasive load, increased lubricating oils must be used. This in turn may have a tendency to negatively affect your formula’s stability. Bottom line, creating formulas with high abrasive load isn’t for the faint of heart.




The Sub-Micron abrasives used in all BOSS™ formulas are engineered with rich, high-lubricity, non-filling components to promote faster pad rotation so you can produce a true, concours-worthy finish in less time. (With exception of Finishing Sealant which contains Polymers and Waxes which may contribute to hiding)
As a result of the abrasive technology, the combination of THE BOSS, BOSS Pads and liquids, most paint correction and protection can be accomplished in 2 steps, delivering a Best of Show quality finish.

[Mp0wer]

Wow great read, even know I didn`t understand some of it..I wish I payed attention in chemistry class...very interesting

[RaskyR1]

Thanks for posting, Jeff!

[Pats300zx]

Fantastic info Jeff !!! Thanks for putting that together.

[Brownie]

My pleasure Pats200zx....just a sign of things to come.

[Brownie]

Imagine agglomerates are the individual nerds...yellow, red, green etc. as you see in the pic. The initial cut of the abrasives is high...but as friction that occurs as the machine action drives the pad back and forth or in a rotary fashion across the paint...the agglomerates or groupings of Sub-Micron abrasives break apart. This equates to a more expedient initial cut, then breaks down to a consistent cutting finer abrasive. The Sub-Micron essentially finishes out to perfection from the naked eyes perspective. If you were to look at it with a micro-scope, it is likely that there are still marring occurring. But again, it is not visible to the naked eye. Hence, delivering perfection.

Another interesting fact...Aluminum Oxide has a MOHs Hardness Scale of 9. Diamonds have a hardness of 10, while quartz- 7 and talc is 1. So that essentially means there is no way the heat generated from any orbital or rotary would be capable of diminishing the actual aluminum oxide abrasive. Hope that helps...or it may complicate the topic. Sorry for getting nerdy. It is a testament to how much thought went into developing BOSS Creams

[felixthecat]

Thanx for the great presentation on the Griots compound/polishes.

[mnewxcv]

do either the correcting or perfecting cream combine enough cut with enough ability to finish down nicely to be considered for a one step?

[Swanicyouth]

Question.

Can these new polishes be used with traditional polishers, like your GG6, successfully?

Will Griot`s continue to make the GG6?

[Brownie]

do either the correcting or perfecting cream combine enough cut with enough ability to finish down nicely to be considered for a one step?

There are always exceptions, but in most cases, Correcting Cream`s formula will finish down to 99% or better when using the Orange Correcting Pad. The formula by itself should finish out close to perfection, however the pad has an impact on the overall result. As we`ve said, the system is extremely flexible offering over 380 unique approaches. The White FAST Correcting Foam Pad amps up the Correcting Cream and finishes out exceptionally well. That has been my go-to for some time now. The white foam cuts on the heals of a micro fiber pad, without the marring.

[Brownie]

Question.

Can these new polishes be used with traditional polishers, like your GG6, successfully?

Will Griot`s continue to make the GG6?

We encourage people to use the BOSS CREAMS and BOSS PADS with the GG6. In fact, the lighter pads improve the smooth operation of the GG6 and delivers a better user experience. If you want the feel of a thicker pad, simply throw the Innerflex Pad in between the backing plate and pad. We will continue to offer the GG6. As far as I`m concerned, it is the most capable of the 5/16"-8mm Random Orbital/DA`s on the market. Should you use the BOSS PADS with the GG6, know the pad rotation will increase and correcting capabilities as a result.

[Accumulator]

Brownie- Thanks for the more detailed explanation, very informative.

[ZL1Mark]

With BOSS creams, does it matter how long or short each polishing session is without any adverse effects(any polisher)? With DAT polishes, if you don`t break them down enough, you could end up with more marring than should be. Is this the case with BOSS creams?


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[Brownie]

With BOSS creams, does it matter how long or short each polishing session is without any adverse effects(any polisher)? With DAT polishes, if you don`t break them down enough, you could end up with more marring than should be. Is this the case with BOSS creams?


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Mark,
That`s a great question! The Sub-Micron abrasives used in BOSS have been developed to perform well and finish out on both short-throw and long-throw machines. The agglomerates will provide initial strong cutting, but break apart regardless of the throw. Side-by-side, you could do a 50/50 shot and marring wouldn`t be evident, however defect correction may will be less and/or take longer with the 8mm Random Orbital vs. THE BOSS.

Thank you for asking...

[ZL1Mark]

Mark,
That`s a great question! The Sub-Micron abrasives used in BOSS have been developed to perform well and finish out on both short-throw and long-throw machines. The agglomerates will provide initial strong cutting, but break apart regardless of the throw. Side-by-side, you could do a 50/50 shot and marring wouldn`t be evident, however defect correction may will be less and/or take longer with the 8mm Random Orbital vs. THE BOSS.

Thank you for asking...

Thanks, Jeff!! Yes, logically you may not get as good or quick correction with an 8mm vs. a long throw. When you say break apart, does that happen very quickly? Once they break apart, will they break down even further? I`m getting technical here.


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