Rain-X is a line of consumer automotive and surface care products produced by SOPUS Products (formerly Quaker State),[1][2] a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. Industrial Rain-X products are produced by Ecolab and used in carwashes and other industrial applications.[3][4] The most well known Rain-X product is a synthetic hydrophobic surface-applied product that causes water to bead, most commonly used on glass automobile surfaces. Rain-X was originally registered as a trademark in 1972 by Unelko and sold to Quaker State in 1997.[5][6] Rain-X branded products are distributed by Shell Car Care International Limited in the U.K.[7]
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The Rain-X brand includes seven categories of products: wiper blades, glass and windshield treatments, plastic cleaners, windshield washer fluid, car washes, car wax, and bug and tar washes.[8]
Competing products include PGW's (formerly of PPG) Aquapel. Rain-X's brand awareness in the automotive consumer product segment is particularly high, being claimed as second only to Windex.[4]
Due to its general water repellent properties, the original Rain-X formulation is used in a wide variety of consumer, commercial and industrial settings. The primary use of Rain-X is for automotive applications. Commercially sold "Original Glass Treatment" is the original and most well known Rain-X branded product. It is a hydrophobic silicone polymer[9] that forces water to bead and roll off of the car, often without needing wipers. It is sold in 3.5 or 7 oz bottles, or as wipes or towelettes.
Rain-X Online Protectant was introduced to carwashes in June 2005 and is produced by Ecolab.[4] It is a water-based compound that is applied to the entire car's surface, working much like consumer grade Rain-X products.
The original coating has also had use in military and other government settings. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has used Rain-X in various water repellent research.[10] The Australian Military has examined the effect of application of Rain-X and similar products to submarine antennae to improve signal transmission, although other coatings had longer-lifespans when submerged in salt-water.[11]
It is also occasionally used in laboratory settings to silanise a surface.[12][13][14]
Ski and snowboard enthusiasts use Rain-X as "wax" to effectively overcome sticky wet snow common in spring conditions. While skiing or riding on mountains with hard snow pack, the heat of the sun changes snow conditions starting on the lower slopes. Skis may suddenly slow down, throwing one off-balance, because of a change in surface tension, a sort of "sandpaper effect." Rain-X is applied to the ski or board base, or to the bottoms of ski boots to reduce, or eliminate snow "wedges" that interfere with proper mounting into ski bindings.[15]
Rain-X's primary active ingredient are polysiloxanates, the primary one being hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane.[16] The polysiloxanes have functional groups that bind to the hydroxyl group of the glass surface.[17]
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