Multilayer Film Vs. Ceramic Film

Multilayer Film Vs. Ceramic Film

The window film industry is a complex world and contradictory positioning of product solutions can quite often leave a prospective client with a pounding headache.

The following analysis is geared toward our more technically oriented prospective clients. It assumes that your research and ultimate decision will be based on solid factual information as opposed to a brand belief in unrelated products like filters and sticky notes.

Rather than adding to a confusing scenario here are highlighted the key advantages to the ceramic technology compared to our competitor’s multi-layer optical films (MOF)

1. The ceramic film color and hue is natural and neutral. A multi-layer film has an obvious blue shift that alters the light streaming through your windows. Simply tilt the sample cards at a slight angle and you will observe this blue shift. This color shift has a direct influence on the colors of your fabrics and furnishings. This is why a neutral color is preferred by interior designers who are acutely aware of these issues.

2. The multilayer films also produce a rainbow effect on the glass at an angle, and the resulting light projected onto the floor and walls, carpets, etc. (in particular white colors or lighter beige walls or furnishings) has an oil slick iridescence appearance. This is readily observed. The ceramic films do not produce this unintended effect since the light is not being filtered through the prismatic lens of the micro-layers.

3. The color or chemical composition of the ceramic films is stable and there are no dyes, contrary to false statements.  Some other film brands modify their 70% VLT films with surface level coatings that do not have the durability of a ceramic film. In other words, the tint surface layer is removed quite easily.  This can have long term implications for clear areas of film directly adjacent to darker areas because of their inherent limited hard coat protection.

Multi-Layer top left pane. Ceramic film on the balance of the  panes. This is a typical appearance for a multi-layer window film.

4. We have previously highlighted the “incredible” in the dictionary sense, of statements promoting a superiority in  “on angle” performance. This purported advantage is not an accepted standard by the NFRC.  This is simply the natural outcome of wave and particle physics and EM(electro-magnetic) performance of glass at angle. The NFRC has certified Huper Optik Window Films.  This is the “level playing field” that has been set for the industry.

5. Infrared rejection is typically quoted as a “be all and end all” of spectrally selective window films.

Some film sellers may have us believe that a film could eliminate 97% of the invisible, infrared spectrum. This seemed to be confirmed if a  technical type produced a IR heat lamp and a BTU meter that amazingly reduced the “heat” beyond the capability of a silver reflective 20% film or a very dark 5% limo film.

The film does perform effectively between 850-900 NM but the IR lamp coincidentally produced IR at that exact same narrow wavelength; thus producing this “magical” effect.

The IR wavelengths are much broader than this extremely narrow window. The actual IR rejection across the broader spectrum is quantifiable much less than the 97% figure they so frequently tout (the accurate IR rejection across the entire wavelength has not been published to date.)

IR represents about 50% of what we experience as heat.

The ceramic films, like Huper Optik , eliminate over 93% of the entire IR wavelength.  The visible portion of the Sun’s energy requires a  some chemistry (nano dots) to reduce the light. Thus a 30% or 31% ceramic film will reduce nearly 70% of the visible light while also factoring out the previously mentioned 90% plus of the IR. .

So- -aside from the surface color on the competitor’s film, why wouldn’t they simply produce a 30%  like nano technology, multi-layered film.

Solar Absorption!!

The solar absorption of a multi-layered optical film is quite dramatic. Those 200 nano-layers may be quite small but they produce the unintended consequence of a dramatic increase in heat on the glass surface. This means the glass with their film on it gets extremely hot.

This heat absorption can produce “thermal stress” on the glass unit.  The solar absorption rate of even their 40% film is borderline for IG units (restricted?)

Let’s be blunt for the non window film novice.

Electromagnetic energy from the Sun can either  be reflected, absorbed or transmitted. Obviously a low reflective ceramic film will reflect a small percentage of the EM as will the glass itself. Some energy will be transmitted (Total solar energy rejected) and some will be absorbed (glass/film surface gets hot) The key number to look for is the SHGC

Huper Optik Ceramic Films meet the SHGC threshold of the Utilities for total heat rejected. That’s the bottom line!

Optical clarity -distortion.

We will simply note that a comparison made between sample cards pressed against a window may be seriously flawed. A much better comparison would be for a mock up done, side by side comparison, on a window (your window?) Before you make a hazy  choice.