Odd Klasse Observation?

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dmatre

Member
Yesterday, I washed the Benz for the first time since applying Klasse AIO & SG.



We had some ice/sleet/freezing rain since the application of the AIO/SG, and the car was pretty dirty.



After rinsing the car (after washing), I noticed that the car didn't bead water up, as it normally did if waxed with carnuba. The roof held a solid sheet of water, from one side to the other, and front to back.



I was more than a little disappointed with the apparent longevity of the Klasse, as it wasn't even trying to bead after only a couple of weeks and one wash.



I moved on to the next panel (hood), and found exactly the same behaviour on the hood - after washing, no beading at all.



Then I looked back to the roof, and found only a couple small beads of water on the roof - where previously had been the solid sheet of water.



I looked back to the hood, and watched as the hood basically 'dried' itself by sheeting off almost every last drop of water.



Now I'm no chemistry whiz, but I have to wonder how Klasse and carnuba can behave so dissimilarly. That is:

How can carnuba be so hydrophobic that it beads water, but doesn't sheet it off (just millions of beads sitting on the paint); while Klasse is so hydrophobic that it doesn't bead, but all of the water runs naturally off of the surface?



Have any other Klasse users noticed this? Or am I just nuts?



Edit: Oh, by the way, after the wash, the car still looks awesome!
 
I have noticed the same on my truck. I see this as being a positive because I can then completely dry my truck with a single MFWW drying towel.:bounce
 
BlackRegal said:
In fact, I've read several places, including from Mike Phillips and on a few other boards, that the "ingredients" in a sealant that offer the most protection don't bead well at all.
Click to expand...



Hmm, would that mean Meguiar's new Lab Sample wax does not provide the most protection? Say it ain't so!



BTW, dmatre, I agree with you. Klasse does not bead like some of the other popular products here......but it's still one of the most durable products I've tried.
 
~One man’s opinion~



From what little I remember from Chemistry (I’ve lost a lot of brain cells since then, and then there were the ‘60s)

Carnauba wax is hydroscopic (it takes up and retains moisture)- water beading



Sealants are hydrophobic (lacking an affinity for water) - water sheeting





Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/



~ justadumbarchitect * so i question everything *
 
Thanks for all the replies . . . I was wondering if I had applied the SG wrong.



One clarification: I've only observed the lack of beading when rinsing with a large volume of water (as when after washing). When rain falls on the car, it beads like 'normal' carnuba-based wax.
 
That is the point of the "flood rinse".



I believe the principal is to use the surface tension of this huge sheet of water to "bind" most of the rinse water into a single entity. When it succumbs to gravity, the surface tension help to keep the "flood" together and most of the water gets drawn off the vehicle.



I use this method to rinse my Lightning and I can dry the entire vehicle with a single MFWW towel.
 
Intermezzo said:
Hmm, would that mean Meguiar's new Lab Sample wax does not provide the most protection? Say it ain't so!
Click to expand...



Don't hold me to this statement but I believe Mike Phillips said that Meguairs designs their products to sheet water and not bead. It's a matter of design in that some companies think sheeting is better some think beading is better. The main thing I recall of those against beading is, contaminants held in that bead concentrate at damaging the paint in that area unless wiped off. This process is also magnified by the sun. However proponents of sheeting claim less damage can occur to the paint if water removes itself through the sheeting process. It is nice to see the beading but if water wants to help remove itself, then less work for me.:)
 
What car wash soap are you using?



I notice that when I use GC, I get the same sheeting with Klasse. If I use some others like EO or Mother's I get less sheeting. Many shampoos have sheeting agents so they leave less water spots.



Michael
 
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