Nissan's new clear paint repairs scratches

Coatings World, Feb, 2006

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, together with Nippon Paint Co., has developed the world's first clear paint that repairs scratches on painted car surfaces, including scratches from car washing machines, off-road driving and fingernails.

Scratch Guard Coat contains a newly developed high elastic resin that helps prevent scratches from affecting the inner layers of a car's painted surface. With Scratch Guard Coat a car's scratched surface will return to its original state anywhere from one day to a week, depending on temperature and the depth of the scratch, according to the company.

The water-repellent paint also has a higher resistance to scratches compared with conventional clear paints, the company also said. For example, a vehicle painted with Scratch Guard Coat will have only one-fifth the abrasions caused by a car washing machine compared with a car covered with conventional clear paint.

Scratch Guard Coat is effective for about three years and will be offered only in some Japan models of the X-Trail sport-utility vehicle, planned for sale soon; overseas plans are still undecided.