The
term "Acid Rain" refers to both wet and dry
deposition of acidic pollutants that may damage material surfaces.
Including auto surfaces! These pollutant are released when
coal and other fossil fuels are burned, react with water vapor
and oxidants in the atmosphere and are chemically transformed
into sulfuric and nitric acid, which is similar to battery
acid. The acidic compounds then may fall to earth as rain,
snow, fog, or may join dry particles and fall as dry deposition. "RAIL
DUST" is a prime example of dry deposition. Automotive
coatings may be damaged by all forms of acid rain, including
dry deposition, especially when mixed with dew or rain. This
is from a report by the EPA and is backed by one of their scientists,
Dr. Edward Edney in his extensive study.
Simply
put, acid rain is the atmosphere's way of ridding itself
of the pollutants, chemicals and other industrial emissions
it collects. The precipitation that passes through this industrial
fallout cleans the air, but it also picks up the pollutants
and brings them to earth…onto your car.
HOW WILL ACID RAIN AFFECT YOU VEHICLES FINISH?
Acid Rain can be as damaging to a car finish as stones, bird
droppings, and tree sap declares an article on car repair in
Home Mechanix magazine.
Acid Rain collects in drops on your vehicle's painted surface.
As the water evaporates, the acidic moisture eats into the
painted surface. The process escalates when the sun heats the
droplets and the paint. It produces three levels of damage:
mild, severe and irreparable. The depth to which the acid has
etched the painted or clear-coated surface determines the severity
of the damage.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Because evaporation
of acidic moisture appears to be the key element in the damage,
any steps taken to eliminate its occurrence on paint may
alleviate the problem. The steps include washing followed
by hand drying, keeping your vehicle under cover during precipitation
events, and have your vehicle treated with a Wax or
a Sealant reguarly.
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