Line-X is an ultra-durable line of spray-on coatings that is mainly marketed for use on truck beds, to make them tougher and provide protection against the elements. But this wonder spray can do so much more, including protecting a wall from an explosive blast, preventing an egg from shattering on impact when dropped from a tower, and rendering a Styrofoam cup able to withstand the weight of a full-grown adult. It basically makes just about anything virtually indestructible.
Line-X coatings have been around for nearly a decade, but most people have only recently learned about its incredible properties after videos of the spray passing all kinds of crazy tests started showing up on social media. The product also made appearances on the Discovery Channel’s hit show “Mythbusters”, where it passed two of the three extreme tests it was subjected to, and on popular YouTube show “How Ridiculous”, where it was tested on watermelons, eggs and light bulbs, with some incredible results.
Photo: YouTube screengrab
So what is the secret behind this amazing protective coating? Well, according to Interesting Engineering, it’s basically a mixture of two different molecules – Diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate or MDI and alpha-(2-aminomethylethyl)-omega-(2-aminomethylethoxy)-poly[oxy(methyl-1,-2-ethanediyl – which undergo a rapid exothermical reaction. But place them both in a bucket and you just end up with a very strong blob, which is hardly suitable for spray-on application. To turn the two components into a coating, they are kept separate under very high pressures and temperatures, and fired together through a small nozzle.
Photo: YouTube screengrab
The curing process of the Line-X coating takes about a full day to complete, but it actually becomes very tough after only a few minutes. Due to the exothermical reaction of the two components, the sprayed surface is very hot to the touch, but cools off rapidly, as the curing process continues.
Photo: YouTube screengrab
Simply put, the reaction between those hart-to-pronounce molecules creates very long molecular chains that can be stretched without breaking. When the guys at How Ridiculous dropped a Line-X-coated watermelon from a 150-foot tower, it just bounced like a rubber ball, preventing the fruit from disintegrating on impact. It’s not the most practical use for Line-X but it speaks volumes about how effective it is.
On Mythbusters, Line-X protected a man and his leather jacket from the repeated bites of an attack dog, and also protected cement and wood blocks walls from a controlled C4 explosion. The only test it failed was a simulated car accident, where at high speeds, the Line-X-coated car suffered similar damage to one that hadn’t been sprayed with the amazing product. However, the coating did prove effective in protecting the car at low-speed collisions.
While truck bed coating remains the main practical application for Line-X, the company admits that it can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, the Pentagon uses it to coat the walls of the building for extra protection against explosions, and it’s also been used in bullet-proof vests with very impressive results. The applications for this stuff are endless and with Line-X experts constantly improving the line of coatings, we might one day get one that’s able to prevent extensive damage even in high-speed car accidents.
According to Tundra Headquarters, coating a truck bed with Line X costs between $400 and $800, which judging by the protection it offers, is pretty decent. It comes with a life-time warranty, as well. Good luck trying to destroy it!
