“Self-healing” sounds like marketing until you see what’s going on inside the coating. Here’s how Lumax LPPF® repairs its own light scratches, in plain English.
First, what LPPF® is
LPPF® is a two-component, self-healing fluoropolymer. It’s sprayed over your factory clear coat the same way a clear coat is applied, then cures into one continuous, invisible layer. There’s no film and there are no edges or seams. Your paint stays untouched underneath, protected by two clear layers instead of one.
Two kinds of bonds
LPPF® is a polymer network held together by two kinds of bonds. One gives it strength. The other gives it the ability to heal.
- The backbone: long polymer chains built from strong bonds that don’t easily break. They give LPPF® its toughness, flexibility and impact resistance.
- The healers: reversible hydrogen bonds between the chains. They act like millions of tiny magnets. They’re the first to let go under stress, and the ones that reconnect afterward.
What’s a reversible hydrogen bond?
It’s an attraction between a hydrogen atom on one chain and an oxygen atom on its neighbor. It’s much weaker than the bonds that hold each chain together, so it’s the bond that gives way first, and the one that can snap back.
The bonds that let go first are the same bonds that come back.
A scratch, step by step
- Bonded. Polymer chains are linked by hydrogen bonds. They’re strong enough to hold the network together and flexible enough to release under stress.
- Scratched. A light scratch pulls the chains apart. The hydrogen bonds at its edges break, while the chains themselves stay intact.
- Healed. The chains flow back together and the hydrogen bonds re-form across the gap, closing the scratch and restoring the finish.
Light swirls and scratches heal with heat.
What self-healing covers, and what it doesn’t
Self-healing is for light scratches and swirls, the kind that come from everyday washing and use. Deeper damage won’t close on its own and isn’t covered by the warranty, but LPPF® is 100% repairable.
Built tougher than clear coat
- Outstanding resistance to chips from rocks and road debris
- Flexible, so it moves with your panels instead of cracking
- Stands up to fuel, road salt and harsh cleaners
- Never yellows, so it stays crystal clear for the life of the finish
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