Surprising & Everyday uses of Ceramic Coatings (that aren’t paint protection)
If you've been following our blog for a while, you already know that nanoceramic coatings (Ceramic Pro is a classic example) are the top dog for protecting automotive paint. However, did you know that the applications of ceramic coatings go beyond paint protection on your car? There are countless applications of ceramic technology across a wide range of fields.
Besides protecting your cowboy boots (see video👇🏼), ceramic coatings can keep your house clean, safeguard your iPhone, and restore the shine on your BBQ grill. And, in the future, it will completely transform your air travel.
In this post, we explore some of the top uses of ceramic coatings in the past, present, and future.
PAST
Ancient Asian Pottery
The craft of making ceramics and clay vessels is one of the oldest human arts. Some of the earliest examples of pottery in China date back to 6000 B.C. At the height of the Neolithic Revolution, nomadic communities of hunter-gatherers transformed into sedentary societies of farmers. At this time, they discovered that clay could be formed into various vessels and tools.
Over thousands of years, clay became integral to everyday life, and the use of pottery spread from Asia to the Middle East and Europe. This gave birth to one of the greatest inventions of human civilizations. By firing up soft clay at high temperatures (2100°F-2642°F) in a kiln until it hardens, clay could be turned into an entirely new substance — clay-based ceramics.
This new discovery offered many advantages, such as:
It could be easily molded into different things, such as cremation urns and artistic artifacts.
It allowed for endless options of colors and finishes available.
It did not stain and was easy to clean.
It was chemically resistant and lightweight.
The clay could also be mixed with other materials to create even more versatile wares. For instance, bone china – which is harder to chip and stronger than porcelain, was made by adding ash from cattle bones to clay, feldspar minerals and fine silica sand.
Since these ancient times, the technology and applications of ceramics have steadily advanced. Today's advanced ceramics used in industrial applications are not clay-based. Instead, they are either based on oxides (silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide) or non-oxides (carbides, nitrides) or combinations of the two.
PRESENT
Ceramic Shield on iPhone
Today it's much rarer to see iPhones with smashed screens than it was a few years ago. While Gorilla Glass has been the go-to screen protection for many Android phones, Apple has taken a different path.
Apple uses Ceramic Shield to protect the latest iPhones, which entails nanoceramic crystals embedded within a glass matrix. The interlocking structure of crystals helps to minimize cracks and chips on the screen. This protective glass is further strengthened via ion exchange (increasing the ion sizes to create a more rigid structure). Generally, we don't see ceramics used in screens because they are not typically as transparent as regular glass. However, nanotechnology ensures that the ceramic crystals are smaller than the wavelength of light, allowing the screen to be highly transparent.
Apple introduced this innovative screen protection technology with the launch of the iPhone 12 in 2020 and the iPhone 13 in 2021. The company claims that the introduction of Ceramic Shield gives iPhones four times greater drop protection than the previous generation (the iPhone 11 series.)
BBQ Grill & Other Home Appliances
Ceramic coatings are now widely being used in outdoor kitchen appliances, especially those frequently exposed to extremely high temperatures and harsh weather elements. A great example is your beloved BBQ grill.
Ceramic coatings increase longevity by providing a hard finish resistant to rust and chippings. Advanced ceramic coatings like Ceramic Pro come with some added advantages:
It makes a BBQ grill easy to clean due to its hydrophobic properties.
It restores that deep shine that doesn't discolor with age and keeps the grill's stainless steel surface looking brand new for years to come.
Beyond stainless steel, you can also apply Ceramic Pro on other surfaces such as kitchen countertops (granite, marble), bathroom doors, and sinks. When applied to such exteriors, the nanotechnology embedded in ceramic coating forms a durable, stain-resistant barrier. This protects the surface against gainst corrosion and build-up of dirt, grime, and scum. Consequently, cleaning your amenities takes less time, and they will stay cleaner longer. The hydrophobic property of Ceramic Pro has become a lifesaver for people who hate having to clean their shower tiles!
Learn more about ceramic coating applications for architectural and household use here.
FUTURE
Hypersonic Flights
Imagine crossing the skies at 2-5 times the speed of sound. This would cut a flight from L.A. to London — which currently takes 11 hours — to 4 or even a measly 2 hours! Sadly, we are not there just yet.
Creating engines that can achieve such hypersonic speeds is only one part of the equation. Aeronautical engineers also have to develop a shell that can withstand such insane speeds. Temperatures at the surface of aircraft moving that fast can reach 5432°F, enough to destroy almost any material currently used in flight.
That's where ceramic coatings come into play. A couple of years ago, British and Chinese scientists created a ceramic coating that could be 12x more effective at dissipating heat than what's currently on the market. This ingenious invention uses zirconium carbide (the same stuff used on drill bits).
They are not the only ones interested in the application of ceramic coatings in hypersonic transatlantic flights. Other potential high-tech solutions include ceramic coatings embedded with carbon/carbon composites (graphite matrix reinforced with carbon fibers)
Different aviation bodies, research institutes, and private aerospace corporations across the globe are in the race to be the first to do a hypersonic passenger flight. Who gets there first? No one knows, but one thing is certain: ceramic coatings will have a significant role to play in that success.
Quick Recap
We often take for granted the significant role that ceramics have played in the progress of humankind. While our primary focus here at VIP Auto Spa is its applications in automotive paint protection, this technology is highly versatile and goes beyond that. We are all bound to benefit from it in one way or another.
If you have been unsure about getting a ceramic coating for your car, I hope this post has shed some light on ceramic coatings. Think about it — if Apple deemed it good enough for your new phone, what about your car?
Learn more about ceramic coating for paint protection here.
