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M$1 Answer
Looks like DIY ceramic coatings would be pretty impossible...
Anyone who still runs painted headers is a flake! Factory-applied header paints have about a five-minute post-installation life span. From a longevity standpoint, paint just cant stack up against high-tech ceramic coatings. But ceramics dont come cheap, selling for up to twice the price of a set of painted headers. For some, the added surcharge might be hard to justify if it was just a question of looks alone.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/high_tech_ceramic_coatings/index.html
Jet-Hot points out that realizing the full anti-corrosion benefits of header coatings requires coating the headers on their inside as well as outside surfaces. Not all competitors coat the inside surfaces, which isnt good because exhaust gases themselves contain corrosive compounds. If the inside isnt coated, the header eventually rusts through from the inside out. Coating only the outside can also cause another problem: Mild steel tubing fatigues when it gets too hot. An outer-only thermal barrier blocks the heat from radiating through the exterior metal surface, while the lack of an inner barrier exposes the metal to added trapped heat. In a scenario reminiscent of that caused by the dreaded curse of the mummified headers (outer cloth wraps used by some racers), the result can be literal disintegration of the mild-steel tubing.
The aluminum portion of Jet-Hot Sterlings compound starts to melt at temperatures over 1,300 degrees F, but thats OK for 90 percent of the applications out there. Cars running heavy loads of nitrous, a supercharger, or a turbo may need to move up to Jet-Hot 2000, which protects metals up to their melting point or 2,400 degrees F (whichever occurs first). The drawback is that Jet-Hot 2000 only comes in dark colors so its not as pretty. But the good news is that Jet-Hot 2000 usually eliminates the need for pricey (and hard to weld and fabricate) stainless steel tubing often specified in high-zoot nitrous or turbo applications.
Anyone who still runs painted headers is a flake! Factory-applied header paints have about a five-minute post-installation life span. From a longevity standpoint, paint just cant stack up against high-tech ceramic coatings. But ceramics dont come cheap, selling for up to twice the price of a set of painted headers. For some, the added surcharge might be hard to justify if it was just a question of looks alone.
http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/high_tech_ceramic_coatings/index.html
Jet-Hot points out that realizing the full anti-corrosion benefits of header coatings requires coating the headers on their inside as well as outside surfaces. Not all competitors coat the inside surfaces, which isnt good because exhaust gases themselves contain corrosive compounds. If the inside isnt coated, the header eventually rusts through from the inside out. Coating only the outside can also cause another problem: Mild steel tubing fatigues when it gets too hot. An outer-only thermal barrier blocks the heat from radiating through the exterior metal surface, while the lack of an inner barrier exposes the metal to added trapped heat. In a scenario reminiscent of that caused by the dreaded curse of the mummified headers (outer cloth wraps used by some racers), the result can be literal disintegration of the mild-steel tubing.
The aluminum portion of Jet-Hot Sterlings compound starts to melt at temperatures over 1,300 degrees F, but thats OK for 90 percent of the applications out there. Cars running heavy loads of nitrous, a supercharger, or a turbo may need to move up to Jet-Hot 2000, which protects metals up to their melting point or 2,400 degrees F (whichever occurs first). The drawback is that Jet-Hot 2000 only comes in dark colors so its not as pretty. But the good news is that Jet-Hot 2000 usually eliminates the need for pricey (and hard to weld and fabricate) stainless steel tubing often specified in high-zoot nitrous or turbo applications.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I did find Zircotec which apparently is being used by F1 teams. http://www.zircotec.com/