Titan vs Raptor: which protective coating is better

Car manufacturers have recently used fairly high-quality durable coatings for their products. The layers applied to the body perfectly resist external negative factors such as snow, rain or temperature changes.

However, operating conditions are different, for example, the outer part of the car may be subject to mechanical stress from pebbles, branches, sand, etc. Such factors can cause significant damage in the form of chips or scratches, which subsequently develop into obvious pockets of corrosion. Some motorists use new techniques to protect themselves. These include Raptor painting, reviews, pros and cons, which are in the public domain.

Protective coating "Titan"

From the point of view of typical coatings for cars, “Titan” is not one. This paint is not traditional due to its composition and appearance. It is made on the basis of polyurethane - a heterochain polymer from the urethane group, which belongs to synthetic elastomers and acts as a kind of rubber substitute.

Polyurethane paint "Titan" allows you to get a super-durable body coating, very hard and quite thick. Compared to other materials, such a “shell” will be more resistant to damaging external factors. The principle of operation of this car paint is simple: during the application process, a reaction with the hardener begins, causing the paint to quickly harden and form a protective layer.

The most attractive property for motorists is the ability to prevent damage to the body from the influence of mechanical factors. The coating has no analogues in strength and ability to resist cracks, scratches, and chips. Also, body parts will be protected from:

UV rays,
moisture,
chemical substances.

A unique feature of the paint is the creation of a relief surface. The “Titanium” coating helps to make the so-called shagreen with different grain sizes, and this indicator depends on several factors:

application technologies,
the amount of solvent in the paint,
spray nozzle devices.

As a result, the coating can be whatever the owner wants, although this imposes certain difficulties on restoration work. If you only need to tint a small area, it is not always possible to select shagreen in strict accordance with the original option.

Protective coating "Raptor"

Another aerosol polyurethane composition “Raptor” from the company U-Pol (England) has long been competing with “Titan” in popularity. This two-component product protects body parts from harmful external factors and helps prevent damage when driving in extreme conditions. With proper preparation, it gives a high degree of adhesion to metal and plastic, so it is suitable for any part of the car.

The advantage of the product is the ease of application without the use of a spray booth with a gravel gun or the included device. It is only important to strictly follow the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1. Pour 3:1 hardener into the container with the main composition, add a special color of the desired color (you can leave the paint white).
Step 2. Shake the container well and continue stirring for 2 minutes.
Step 3. Attach the container to the gravel gun, apply paint to the car, or perform all the steps using the supplied nozzle.

It will take 21 days for the paint to completely polymerize, but you can begin careful use after 8 hours: that’s how long it takes to dry the coating in the chamber. If a scratch appears on the body during this period, it is heated with a hair dryer, after which it levels out on its own.

Preparatory work

High-quality anti-gravel compounds are two-component substances. Raptor in this case is no exception. Before use, it is necessary to combine the paint from the bottles with the hardener in a strict proportion of 3:1. The packaging is designed in such a way that 250 ml of hardener must be added to 750 ml of paint to obtain a liter volume of the product ready for application.

You can stock up on sufficient mixing containers in advance. The manufacturer recommends that before applying the Raptor protective coating, thoroughly stir the composition for several minutes to a homogeneous consistency. You can simply shake the closed container for a while.

The composition may contain one of the types of hardeners, which come in different concentrations and chemical characteristics. When purchasing, you can select substances with optimal values. There are even formulations available that can dry within 20–40 minutes after completion of spraying.

The branded sprayer is offered as a set or can be purchased separately for 1.5–1.7 thousand rubles. It can be attached to any spray gun. It is important to keep the nozzle approximately 45-55 cm away from the part to be painted to ensure an even application.

It is important to know that the recommended number of Raptor layers to be laid should be limited to 2-3 coatings, since increasing them can lead to negative consequences.

General characteristics

When comparing which is better: “Titanium” or “Raptor”, you must first evaluate the similar properties of these paints. Both products are suitable for those who want to give their car an unusual look and replace standard paint materials for cars with exclusive ones. Paints have common qualities:

enhanced strength, hardness of the hardened coating, which is an order of magnitude higher than that of oil, acrylic and other types of paints,
unusual relief surface - shagreen,
presence of dielectric properties,
protection of the base from water, ultraviolet radiation, abrasives, chemicals,
long-term color retention, no clouding over time.

Both paints are quite expensive, and the finished coating is far from economical (although Titan is a little cheaper in terms of cost).

The exact composition of the paints is kept secret by the manufacturers, and apart from the fact that the base is polyurethane, little is known. In addition to large packages, the products are sold in cans for application to small areas.

Manufacturer's suggested format

Raptor car paint, reviews of which are mostly positive online, is sold in various packages. You can easily find packages of the required volume, which are enough to completely treat a large machine or for partial application to problem areas. It is advisable to purchase a special gun for applying a protective layer. If you don’t have a gun, then as a last resort you can use a brush or roller.

Online stores often offer the usual set of 4 0.75 liter containers and a bottle of hardener necessary for the durability of the result. Its cost is about 5200 rubles.

The price of painting a car with Raptor, based on its area and the price tag for materials, will be different . You need to focus on the approximate consumption:

NIVA Urban will require about 8 liters, which is equivalent to 2 sets of RLB/S4 or RLT/S4;
UAZ Hunter is larger in area, so it needs 12 liters or 3 sets;
TOYOTA LC 200 with a five-meter length will be covered with 16 liters;
TOYOTA Tundra at 6.2 m with complex processing will cost 20 liters.

Differences between Titan and Raptor

Titanium paint is considered more durable and hard after drying. This is due to the presence of 70% polymers in the composition, while in Raptor there are only 30%. Other paint differences are:

The base of “Titan” is white, so it can be tinted in any shade. Different brands of colors are suitable for this paint. For Raptor, only pigments recommended by the manufacturer are used.
The Titan has a higher dry residue and its consumption is lower than that of the Raptor.
“Titanium” should be applied with a gravel gun. The Raptor coating is best done using a special branded gun, which is able to regulate the size of the shagreen pimples.
According to user reviews, Titan better withstands negative and even extreme temperatures, since it was developed specifically for harsh regions.
Raptor paint has been on the market for 5 years longer than Titan. Therefore, some craftsmen are accustomed to “Raptor” and have more confidence in paintwork materials. The first versions of the paint were somewhat worse, but then the composition was improved and became ideal for metal and plastic.

In general, the difference between these two paints is not critical, because both paints are widely used in car repair shops and do not have an obvious advantage over each other. It is only important to prepare the base correctly, observe the number of layers and drying time, and then any material will serve for a long time and will reliably protect the car from damage.

Compound

Probably, many people have thought about the composition of this drug, what kind of “armor-piercing layer” it is. It's simple guys, I went to the official manufacturer's website and this is what happens:

This is a two-component polyurethane protective coating that has increased durability. It can protect not only from branches and stones on the roads, but also from corrosion, reagents on the road, from mold, and also from extreme temperatures. They can restore worn surfaces of commercial vehicles, in particular the bodies of trucks or pickups. After this, a very durable surface is formed that does not allow water to pass through and can withstand mechanical damage and ultraviolet radiation.

That is, in simple words, this is an improved polyurethane, that is, plastic, to which another component has been added, because of this, the composition becomes as durable as possible. Of course, no one will tell you the detailed formula; after all, this is a trade secret.

Advantages and disadvantages of Titan paint

Polymer-based paint has a lot of advantages:

high elasticity, allowing the protective layer not to crack or burst when bent or deformed,
protection of metal from rust and damage by reagents,
no surface fading - you can paint a separate area, and the new segment will not stand out at all from the background of the old ones,
no destruction of the paint layer due to frost, temperature changes, or other aggressive factors,
the ability to use paintwork only to protect the sills, underbody, and internal parts of the car, if the user needs it.

Many people mistakenly believe that shagreen increases the contamination of the body, and once dirt gets in, it will be more difficult to clean it. In fact, even a dirty car with a relief coating looks cleaner than one with a standard surface, and any dirt is washed off very easily.

There are few downsides to the Titan coating. You need to paint a car carefully, having certain skills. The total polymerization period is quite long, and it cannot be shortened. If you need to remove the film with shagreen, you will have to turn to professionals: it is difficult to do it yourself.

How to paint a car with Titan

All of the above properties of paint are valid only with high-quality preliminary preparation of the base. If you do not pay enough attention to this, the paintwork material can come off in layers, because its adhesion is high only under certain conditions.

The main point in the preliminary work is the so-called matting - applying a grid of grooves and scratches to enhance the adhesion of the paint to the material. To do this, the body is washed well and then treated with sandpaper or a coarse-grit sanding machine. Such a microrelief is created in each area, without missing a single centimeter of the body. Even a small piece of surface left smooth can cause paint to peel off in the future.

After finishing the matting, painting the car with “Titan” is carried out as follows:

sweeping or blowing dust,
clean wash,
removal of corrosion spots,
body degreasing,
removing elements that will not be covered with paint,
pasting of openings and permanent non-paintable elements,
priming the base.

Only after such preparation can you begin to apply paint. Typically, 25% hardener is added to 75% base. Pigments are introduced in the quantity required to obtain the desired shade. The first layer of “Titanium” serves as another adhesion enhancer, and therefore is made thin. After drying, apply another 2-3 layers with intermediate drying for 30-60 minutes, then leave the car for final drying for 8-12 hours.

Reviews about Titanium coating

After using a coated car, users give both positive and negative feedback. Motorists who are satisfied note the following:

Unusual, eye-catching appearance of the car. The shagreen coating gives even inexpensive cars an exclusive look, and even looks luxurious on large SUVs.
Surface protection. The paint really saves the car from scratches and other defects during frequent off-road driving, bushes, and tall grass. Even sandblasting or deliberate scratching with nails causes only slight damage to the coating.
Ability to remove scratches. If there are defects, you can always get rid of them. Small scratches disappear after regular washing with water under pressure; more serious ones can be removed by heating the area with a hair dryer.
Reduced preparation costs. If there is a complete layer of old paint on the car, it is not necessary to remove it before painting it with Titan. It is enough to perform a high-quality matting, cleaning and priming, and the paint will lay down in an even layer.

Among the negative reviews is local peeling of the coating, which is associated with ignoring the matting or skipping areas during its implementation. It is from this area that the paint can begin to peel off in layers. In addition to an untidy appearance, such defects also have more serious consequences. Water and air penetrate under them, and the Titan’s ability to protect against rust is seriously reduced.

Corrosion processes can develop hidden, unnoticed by the car owner, and some areas can rot quite badly. In this case, you will have to completely remove the coating and carry out serious repairs to the car.

According to the majority of car owners who have tried this paint, it is excellent for frequent use of equipment on rough terrain. “Titan” resists mechanical, physical, and chemical influences much better than conventional paints. In urban conditions, it is easier to use traditional paints and varnishes, since a thick relief coating will not make any sense.

From personal experience, maybe it will be useful to someone

Personally, I came across RAPTOR not in the automotive industry, but in everyday life - there is nothing surprising here! They covered the metal porch of the office, which began to rust mercilessly. We simply cleaned it and painted it like regular paint from a can, half with a roller and half with a brush.

And then small “problems” immediately emerged. The one who painted and applied the grooves with a brush expected that they would then “disperse” as with ordinary paint - but this is not so! Remember, if you brushed it and the grooves remained, then they will remain this way; this is an unusual coating that sets as it is. Therefore, I advise everyone to buy a “pistol”; nevertheless, the look is much better with it.

Also take a proprietary hardener (solvent) with it; of course, you can also use ordinary solvent 647 - 650, but when using them you get large grains on the surface, that is, high roughness, which does not always look aesthetically pleasing.

We covered a piece of rusty channel (well rusted) with “RAPTOR” and conducted an experiment on its restorative properties. We cleaned the area until it was shiny, then applied two layers with a brush without much prelude. After drying, as recommended (21 days), it stood in the open air for about a year (snow, rain, sun, frost), the coating did not fall off, did not crack, and is still standing. That is, it really works.

I also recently came across a guy who covered his dacha, made of OSB boards, with “RAPTOR”, he says - it went on like cast iron, for a year now there have been no problems, the boards do not get wet; this protective coating gave them an additional film. So experiment.

This is where I end, I think you liked my article.

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