What is Car PPF?Learn About the Latest PPF Technology

PPF is a transparent, thermoplastic polyurethane film applied to a vehicle's painted surface, acting as an "invisible shield" against scratches, rock chip, road debris, bug splatter, UV ray, and chemical contaminants (e.g., bird dropping, acid rain).Originally developed for military use (e.g., protecting helicopter blades), it has evolved into a mainstream automotive solution.

• Factory paint cannot be fully restored: original paint is applied to the whole car and baked at high temperature. Later repainting is usually local, and it is very hard to match color, gloss, and thickness 100%.
• Repaint cost keeps rising: even small paint repair usually starts at USD 100. Pearl, metallic, or special colors car paint cost more because color matching is harder. PPF is a one time investment with long term protection.
• PPF technology is now mature: early PPF had issues like yellowing and edge lifting. Today’s mainstream TPU PPF offers high clarity, self healing scratches, and strong anti yellowing, so protection car paint no longer sacrifices appearance.
• Daily paint damage risk is everywhere: highway stone chips, car wash swirl marks, dust, and minor scrapes all damage paint.
• The used car market values “original paint”: the better the original paint is preserved, the higher the resale value of the car.

• Anti-scratch: Resistant to physical damage such as flying stone, branches, and human scratched during daily driving.
• Anti-corrosion: Isolates acid rain, bird dropping, insect corpse, gum and other chemical corrosive substance, preventing the paint surface from oxidation and fading.
• Anti-yellowing: High quality TPU PPF can resist long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays and delay aging and yellowing (yellowing degree ≤ 10%).
• Cover defect: Cover up sun mark and minor scratches, and restore the paint surface of old car to its original state after applying film.
• Value preservation: Protect the integrity of the original paint and increases the car's secondary selling price.
• Scratch self-healing: TPU PPF has thermal repair function, which can automatically repair minor scratch after heating.

Single layer PPF means the entire roll of PPF is made from a single polyurethane or thermoplastic polyurethane material, with no extra coating or composite layer. In this structure, protection, clarity, anti yellowing, and self healing all come from the same material layer, rather than being achieved by added coatings.

In the current car PPF market, low cost PPF uses single layer technology. Although this type of PPF provides protection and self healing, its durability is poor. After about 3 years of use, the film often becomes hard, turns yellow, and shows an “orange peel” effect.

Embedded coating PPF refers to PPF film made with multi layer micron scale structure technology. The multi layer micron structure is usually composed of different functional material layers embedded into microstructures at a micron-level thickness.

Technical features include:

• Layered functionality: Each material layer independently provides a specific function (impact resistance, self-healing, hydrophobicity), working together to achieve overall PPF performance.
• Interface reinforcement: Coatings are strengthened through chemical bonds or physical crosslinking to prevent delamination or cracking.
• Microstructure control: Micron-scale pore structures are designed between layers to enable the PPF to refract light and distribute stress.

Carlike PPF uses multi-layer micron scale structure technology. Its functional coating material is embedded into the TPU’s microscopic pore network at a micron level thickness. During curing, the two materials form an interpenetrating network structure, like countless tiny “locks” tightly interlocked together.

• Reduced light scattering: by alternately stacking material layers, light scattering inside the film is suppressed, avoiding the “orange peel” effect seen in traditional PPF.
• Enhanced transparency: micron-scale anti-reflection structures raise PPF light transmittance to up to 99%, close to a glass-like effect.
• Microcapsule embedding: micron level self healing capsules are embedded in the coating. Even if surface molecules are worn by the environment, inner repair molecules can continuously and steadily replenish them, maintaining surface performance.
• Biomimetic hydrophobic structure: the top layer mimics a lotus leaf surface, with a hydrophobic angle above 150°. The film surface stays smooth, rainwater slides off easily, and dirt adhesion is reduced.

The film light transmittance is close to glass, highly clear design can almost restore the color of the car. At the same time, gloss ppf enhance the color saturation through optical refraction.making dark car paint such as red and black appear deeper.

The micron level frosted surface.Under the refraction of light, matte film presents soft and delicate diffuse reflection effect,feels as smooth as silk. At the same time, the matte effect enhance the color saturation. making dark color car(eg: black and gray) more profound,Bright color car (eg: blue and red) more advanced.

Nano scale metal ions are embedded in the surface, which presents flowing metallic luster under light and produces gradient glare as the viewing angle change.

Under different light angle, the film surface presents gradient transition from dark gray to violet. In low light appears to be low key gray tone.When directly exposed to strong light, reflect metallic purple luster, creating dynamic visual effect like "chameleon".

Carlike is a professional vinyl maker in China. It offers sample, OEM, and ODM service for global wholesale partner. The Carlike factory makes over 30 series and 1500+ color of vinyl, with strong stock and wide choice. After payment, the partner gets shipment in 48 hours (by sea or air). Contact me to get factory direct price.