Titan vs Raptor vs AKTERM AutoArmor: which protective coating is better

Among non-standard paint and varnish coatings, “Titan” and “Raptor” take the first places in popularity, although today there are more than 5 variants of such paintwork in the world. Since the results after painting are similar for these top products, a logical question arises: which is better, Titan or Raptor? We will try to answer it here.

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.

Let's sum it up

Despite the rather low price compared to other polymer coatings, Titan justifies itself one hundred percent. This is excellent protection for the body, an easy-to-apply and easy-to-use technology. The manufacturer provides a guarantee for the coating, which you can obtain information about from the documents. The paint comes in a completely finished kit and is not difficult to apply.

You can use different options for applying the material, including in a regular garage without special preparation. But for proper polymerization, the temperature in the chamber should not be below 15 degrees above zero. Read the opinions of experts and car owners who have already used such technologies. You will find a lot of useful information.

“Titanium” paints – polyurethane protection for your car Link to main publication

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:

1. Step 1. Pour 3:1 hardener into the container with the main composition, add a special colorant of the desired color (if using a base for tinting).
2. Step 2. Shake the container well and continue stirring for 2 minutes.
3. 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.

Packaging, colors, features

Raptor U-POL paint is sold in a variety of packaging - in spray cans, large cans, bulk cans, and barrels. They should be purchased based on the area to be painted. There are packages of 3 - 4 bottles, each of which includes 0.75 liters of paint, other packages contain 1 - 2 cans per 1 liter.

Complete set of Raptor U-POL: the actual coloring composition and hardener, which is required to fix the material. One bottle of hardener is enough for 10 - 12 square meters. m of cultivated area.

Some Raptor kits include a gun for applying paintwork (anti-gravel gun GUN/1), although it may not be used for work. A brush for processing the bottom and lower parts of the sides will have to be purchased additionally, as well as pigments for tinting.

Protective coating "AKTERM AutoBronya"

The latest development of NPK IT LLC is the protective anti-corrosion coating AKTERM AvtoBronya, which is characterized by increased resistance to environmental influences and excellent decorative characteristics. The “calling card” of the composition is its enhanced strength and low abrasion according to Taber (only 30-60 mg), which analogues cannot provide. Such qualities are achieved through the introduction of special fillers and additives of the latest generation into the polyester copolymer solution.

“AKTERM AvtoBronya” is ideal for processing passenger cars and trucks and will be no less durable when working with agricultural equipment, military vehicles, boats and other large units. The material is even used to prevent corrosion at construction and energy facilities: its protective properties are so high.

"AKTERM AutoBronya" is especially recommended for processing:

• body;
• bottoms;
• arch extensions;
• thresholds;
• doorways;
• threshold overlays;
• hood;
• the bottom of the doors.

An important advantage of the paint is its suitability for use in different climatic zones, including in difficult conditions and under the influence of aggressive natural factors. As for the appearance, AKTERM AvtoBronya creates an original rough shagreen with a slight roughness; the size of the shagreen can be adjusted using a spray gun and adding a solvent. The composition can be tinted in absolutely any chosen color. The drying time for two-component paint is no more than 12 hours: after this period, safe operation of the equipment is possible.

General characteristics

When comparing which is better: AKTERM AvtoBronya, Titan or Raptor, you must first evaluate the similar properties of these paints. The products are suitable for those who want to give their car an unusual look and replace standard paint and varnish 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;
• resistance to chips, scratches, impacts, dirt;
• unusual relief surface - shagreen, highly aesthetic appearance;
• presence of dielectric properties;
• protection of the base from water, ultraviolet radiation, abrasives, chemicals;
• long-term color retention, no clouding over time.

Paints are quite expensive, and the finished coating is far from economical, although this minus more than pays off over time, because the service life of the paint film is significant.

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

Reviews after use

Motorists are ambivalent about their experience of operating a car painted Titan. Let's look at the positive reviews first.

1. Bright, one-of-a-kind appearance. Titanium paints look especially beautiful on SUVs and other large cars. Motorists note that they are often approached in parking lots and gas stations with the question: what kind of paint is this on the car?
2. Really high protection against mechanical impact. Those motorists who participate in off-road motor rallies, hunt and fish, or simply often drive through wooded and difficult terrain note the excellent protective properties of Titan paint. There are reports on testing these paints on various video hosting sites and forums. Scratching with nails with force, hitting with sharp objects, sandblasting - all this causes only slight damage to the top layer of the coating. After washing, these damages are almost completely masked. And if washing doesn’t help, surface heating of the area with a hairdryer comes to the rescue. The shagreen leather partially softens and the scratches heal.
3. Relatively low price with such high protective properties. The fact is that when painting a car in "Titan" you do not need to completely remove the old paint and rebuild it again - a kind of "pie" of primers, putties, paint and varnish. If the paintwork does not have significant damage, it is enough to locally remove the rust and matte the surface. And even taking into account the high price of the paint itself, the final cost of a complex of painting works is not much different from a standard car repainting.

Titan paint also has disadvantages.

1. Frequent local detachment. If ordinary paint breaks off only at the point of impact, then Titan paint can come off in a rather large layer in places with poor adhesion.
2. Difficulty in local coating repairs. As mentioned above, “Titan” paint is difficult to match to the color and grain size of shagreen for local repairs. And after repair, the newly painted area remains clearly visible. Therefore, motorists often do not restore Titan paint locally, but at a certain point simply completely repaint the car.
3. Corrosion protection that decreases over time. Due to weak adhesion, sooner or later, moisture and air begin to penetrate under the Titan paint. Corrosion processes develop covertly, since the coating itself remains undamaged. And even if the bodywork has completely rotted under a layer of paint, it may not be noticeable from the outside.

In general, you can repaint your car with Titan paint if you often drive your car over rough terrain. It resists mechanical stress much better than standard paintwork. For cars primarily driven in the city, this coating makes little sense.

Differences between materials

Titanium paint is considered very durable and hard after drying. This is due to the presence of up to 70% polymers in the composition, while in Raptor there are only 30%, so in this case the choice is obvious. Only AKTERM AvtoBronya does not lag behind its analogue: the density of the mixture is 1.35 kg/l, the dry matter content is more than 61%, so it also provides a reliable and strong coating after drying. Other paint differences are:

1. 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 recommended ones are used and tinted in any shade with the addition of special pigments recommended by the manufacturer, or pigments for car enamels.
2. Titan has a higher dry residue and its consumption is lower than Raptor (375-500 g/sq. m). states that the composition consumption per square meter of surface is approximately 360 g with full coverage.
3. “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. “AKTERM AutoBronya” is applied with an anti-gravel gun under a pressure of 5 atm, but it can be applied with a spray gun with a nozzle from 1.8 to 2.5 with the addition of a solvent (xylene no more than 15%).

4. According to user reviews, Titan tolerates negative and even extreme temperatures better than Raptor, since it was developed specifically for harsh regions. “AKTERM Autoarmor” also easily withstands the effects of temperature changes and is not afraid of even the harshest climate, and also has increased strength, unlike competitors, which ensures reliable protection of the body.
5. 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. “AKTERM AvtoBronya” is a completely new product among anti-corrosion protective compounds, but respect for the manufacturer and excellent technical characteristics are gradually making it a market leader.

In general, the difference between these paintwork materials is not critical, but it does exist. All paints are widely used in auto repair shops, although they have certain advantages over each other. It is important to prepare the base correctly, observe the number of layers and drying time, and then the selected material will serve for a long time and will reliably protect the car from damage.

How is Titan applied to car body parts?

Titanium paint is used very simply and without any special differences from other polymer materials for car painting. All you need to do is prepare the paint from a ready-made kit from the manufacturer, mix all the ingredients and add the branded dye. Next, it is necessary to carry out high-quality painting of the body with polymers, in which the following features should be taken into account:

• the spray gun must be equipped with a special nozzle with a fairly large outlet diameter;

• It is better to prepare the camera in the classic version as for painting any car;

• when painting, the gun should be kept at a distance of 12 to 18 cm from the car body;

• application is possible in several layers at once, for this the speed of movement of the gun must be high;

• After applying the layer, it is important to give the polymer a few hours to dry; everything will be ready within a day.

After just a few hours, the car can be taken out of the cell. Complete polymerization takes about 5 days, so during this time it is better not to go to the car wash and forget about off-road driving. The body does not need to be specially prepared, but extensive reviews indicate that it is better to remove rust and treat the places where it appears. This way you will ensure normal conditions for the coating to work.

Advantages of Titan and Akterm AvtoBronya paints

Polymer-based paints have a lot of advantages:

• high elasticity, allowing the protective layer not to crack or burst when bent or deformed;
• protection of metal from rusting 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. As for the Akterm AvtoBronya paint, special mention should be made of its ability to reduce noise and vibration levels in the car, which immediately increases the operating comfort of the equipment. It is also characterized by very high resistance to chemicals and suitability for coating wooden products, which seriously expands its scope of application.

How to paint a car with Titan and AKTERM AvtoBronya

All of the above properties of paints 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 is carried out as follows:

• sweeping or blowing dust;
• finishing wash;
• removal of corrosion areas;
• 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 serves as another adhesion enhancer, therefore it is made thin. After drying, apply another 2-3 layers with intermediate drying for 30-60 minutes (for “AvtoBroni” - after 15-20 minutes), then leave the car for final drying for 12 hours.

gives additional recommendations for applying the composition:

• For pre-treatment of the body, you can use various types of automotive and epoxy primers;
• ideally, if during operation the air temperature is +15...+30 degrees, humidity - no more than 80%;
• the distance from the gun to the body during application should be about 50 cm;
• The recommended layer thickness is from 140 microns.

Paint price

The cost of a set of 4 750 ml jars of paint and hardener is about 6,000 rubles. The kit does not include a pistol, which is sold additionally (approximately 1,700 rubles). Sets with a pistol are sold for 7400 – 7700 rubles.

To paint a whole car (sedan) you need about 3 sets, you will have to pay for the work of a specialist (from 4000 for one part). If you paint it yourself, you can save costs at this point, but if you are not confident in the quality result, it is better to trust a professional.

Reviews about protective coating

After using a coated car, users give mostly positive reviews. Motorists who are satisfied note the following:

1. Unusual, eye-catching appearance of the car. The shagreen coating gives even inexpensive cars an exclusive look, and even looks luxurious on large SUVs.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 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 ability of paints 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. “AKTERM Autoarmor” resists mechanical, physical, and chemical influences much better than conventional paints.

Procedure for removing paint from a car

Removing a coat of Raptor U-POL paint that has already dried is quite a task. Doing this manually using sandpaper is difficult, ineffective and time-consuming, because the paper immediately gets clogged.

Using an angle grinder is simply dangerous, since the abrasive wheel creates nicks, defects, and chips on the body that will need to be puttied. Only putting a metal brush on a grinder or drill will allow cleaning to be more effective, but large parts often overheat and become deformed.

It is best to use a construction hair dryer, which is used to heat the base, and then remove the material with a special narrow sharp spatula.