INTRODUCTION TO CERAMICS

PELLI's revolutionary PROTECT and MAINTAIN formulas are ceramic-infused - offering the most advanced surface protection available for your ride.  

What is Ceramic and How Does it Work?

The word "ceramic" in all modern ceramic coatings refers to a compound typically composed of silicon dioxide (silica or Si02).  When applied to the surface of your bike (frame, bars, seat post, fork stanchions, etc.), these compounds, sourced from natural materials like quartz and sand, create an instant chemical bond and seal the layer underneath with a hard and intensely hydrophobic (aka water repellant) barrier.  Think of ceramic coatings as the hard candy shell that protect the delicate chocolate center of your ride.  

Why Ceramic for my Bike?

Modern ceramic coatings protect your bike's finish from blemishes and damage while keeping it clean for extended periods of time.  The unique compounds in these formulas fill and seal abrasions, scratches, and invisible pores in the finish of your frame and cover them with an intensely hydrophobic protective barrier that  lasts many months to several years.  Not only are these imperfections unsightly, they also make the surface prone to faster wear, degradation, and attract contamination - making your bike lose it's "showroom" appearance and making general maintenance more time consuming.

Once applied and cured, this hydrophobic barrier also prevents dirt, mud, oil, and road grime from sticking to your frame while the intense water-beading action creates a self-cleaning surface that washes away contamination.  As a result, this layer of protection also makes follow-up maintenance MUCH faster and more efficient as the ultra-slick surface allows for mud, stuck on dirt, oil, grease, and all organic contaminants to easily release with a simple wipe or spray (such as with our Ceramic MAINTAIN daily waterless cleaner).  

These advanced compounds also create a deep gloss and shine on painted surfaces, and enrich matte carbon surfaces with a deep black appearance.  In addition to the added layer of protection, these formulas will make your bike look BETTER than showroom new.  

What is "Self-Cleaning" and How Does it Work?  

If you've ever seen advertisements for ceramic coatings for your car, boat, RV, etc. you've likely seen the common "muddy water bucket" test on a half-treated (and typically painted) surface.  

Once bonded to the surface of your frame (and all treated areas), ceramic coatings create an extremely slick surface that allows water to slide off the surface at a much lower angle than untreated surfaces (for details, see the next section about water sliding angles).  If you've ever watched a water droplet run down a window, you'll notice how the droplet gets larger as it makes its way down the surface..."grabbing" other droplets until it reaches the bottom and disappears.

This same property allows sliding water to grab ahold of mud, dirt, and other contaminants on your frame as it moves across the surface until it eventually falls to the ground with these particles trapped inside the droplets.  Without this sliding action, these contaminants adhere to the surface, eventually drying and creating a bond that makes cleaning more difficult and requires scrubbing or high water pressure in sensitive areas like suspension pivots, bottom brackets, etc.  

What is "Water Sliding Angle" and Why Should I Care?

As the name implies, a water sliding angle is the slope at which a water droplet will break free of its bond from the surface and begin moving (with gravity) downhill.

In addition to their protective properties, modern ceramic coatings, like PELLI Ceramic PROTECT, significantly lower the angle at which the surface underneath will "release" water droplets - thus allowing water to move from the surface of your frame much easier and pick up contaminants along the way.  

This hydrophobic property creates the self-cleaning properties of ceramic coatings and protects your frame and components from sitting / pooling water and the potential for everything from rust to water spots and dirt buildup.  

Which PELLI Products Use Ceramic Technology?