- March 2025
EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ is Axcentive’s ceramic coating for durable, outdoor, easy to clean surfaces
In a study the comparative performance of a standard sol-gel coating and EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ applied via spray deposition on aluminum substrates was investigated. The assessment encompassed critical performance parameters such as drying time, hardness, adhesion strength, gloss retention, cleanability, resistance to water immersion, and susceptibility to UV exposure. The primary objective of this study was to determine the superior coating system under various operational conditions.
Key Take Away Points
- Drying Time: EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ dries quicker than Standard Sol-gel coating, with no tackiness after 6 hours, while Standard Sol-gel coating remains sticky even after 6 hours.
- Adhesion and Hardness: Both coatings passed the adhesion test after using an alkaline degreaser, but EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ showed slightly better hardness (10N) compared to Standard Sol-gel coating (8N).
- Cleanability: EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ is easier to clean and leaves no shadow after cleaning, while Standard Sol-gel coating is harder to clean and leaves visible marks.
- Water Immersion: EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ showed no visual change and maintained its gloss after 14 days of water immersion, whereas Standard Sol-gel coating exhibited whitening and a significant loss of gloss.
- UV Exposure: After 500 hours of UV exposure, EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ developed cracks, while Standard Sol-gel coating showed whitening. Both coatings had unsatisfactory cleanability results post-UV exposure.
- EXOCOAT™ CERAMIC+ is PFAS-free
