I live next to a railway line, will a sealant protect my car for fallout?
Industrial fallout in the form of rail dust, metal particles which come from diesel exhaust, train wheels and brakes, and scrapings from overhead cables, have a static electric charge. Your car, has an opposite charge, and so the particles, if they get close enough, are attracted to stick to your car. And there, when they contact water, will rust.
In theory, coatings can negate this static electric charge and prevent them from sticking. Especially ceramic coatings. However, the ceramic coating is very thin, the paint underneath it has a charge, and so we are fairly sceptical about this claim, although there is probably some truth to it.
Protective paint coatings are fare more resistant to the corrosive effects of rusting metal particles than bare paintwork, so we would recommend a coating because it will help. If you have a ceramic coating, even though you may pick up some rail dust, and it might cause some damage, it is unlikely to be able to eat its way through it to the body work.
Metal particles are heavy, and so don't travel too far. So the further you park from the railway, the better. Even another six feet will make a difference.
We recommend that you keep on top of it, regularly inspect your car and remove fallout with a clay bar. This might lead to some slight abrasion to your coating, but is preferable to rust blisters.
Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 10/02/2023 14:47