LEXINGTON, Ky. — Imagine an elephant smashed down to the size of an ant, but still retaining its original mass. With this analogy, you begin to have an understanding of a new line of "nano" car care products, which the manufacturer says provides better coverage and protection of a vehicle's surface.
At its New Product Laboratory, Valvoline officials recently demonstrated the Eagle One®-branded nano line of products, which are based on nanotechnology, particles that are one-billionth of a meter, or 1/75,000th the size of a human hair.
The company is expanding on its NanoWax® formula, offering NanoWax Spray, Nano-Polish™ and Nano-Protectant™, a line that's touted to better fill in surface scratches and penetrate smaller areas than more traditional car care products.
Acknowledging the scientific nature of this product line's story, Valvoline's appearance products arm has been on a mission to educate distributors on this miniscule unit of measure and how it affects the overall product performance. Some distributors have even made visits to the Lexington, Ky. facility to learn more about the appearance line, says Cynthia Saunders, director of marketing for Eagle One.
With traditional waxes, a majority of the product is wiped away due to the fact that these substances are hundreds of nanometers thick, according to Wen Chen Su, technology specialist for Valvoline/Eagle One.
He says the nano line is less likely to streak and swirl, and adds that the nanometer-sized particles are translucent rather than milky white.
Continuing the elephant-ant analogy, when the substance is compressed to nano size, it covers more surface area, continues Su."We are the first ones to introduce nano particles into the appearance category," claims Su, who adds, "The consumer is looking for durability. They're also looking for a smooth surface."
Though he declined to provide details, Su says the nanometer technology is also being considered for other Valvoline product categories.
