When I was a kid, I remembered how the windscreen of my schoolbus was covered in a purple film and slightly peeling at the sides. It made my world looked like it was cast in a sepia shade.
At first I thought it was the norm but as I grew up from the naive primary school kid I was, I realised there were more to solar films than sepia prints.
Firstly there is the metallised film which is as its name indicates - film coated with a layer of metal. The metal coating in turn helps to reflect the heat and depending on the shade of the metals used, cuts the sun's glare from coming through your windows.
Sounds good. But they're like a double-edged sword. Such films may be highly reflective both externally and internally. A driver would want to be able to see - not stare at his or her own reflection. They may also corrode if silver is used extensively.
Then there is dyed film, the culprit of my childhood sepia-ed days. Thin sheets of polyester film are dyed and cured at high temperatures. Thus transferred to the film, the colour pigments cannot be washed off.
Dyed films are good because they cut glare. Saves you money on sunglasses. But they do not reduce heat coming in through the windows so you may have to turn up your air-conditioning when the sun's in the middle of the sky.
Also, dyed films are usually not stable. The dye will turn purple after a few short years.
Hybrid films combine the technologies of the above two films - metal coating and dying. The good news is that it combines both the advantages of dyed and metallised films without being highly reflective or too dark.
The only drawback that remains? You'll find yourself with purple film after a few years.
Ceramic films work by stopping heat at the glass panels. Bycoating the films with materials such as oxides (alumina, zirconia, carbide and titanium), the ceramic film is able to absorb heat.
But, and there is always a but, the drawback of this film technology is that it will cause the window panels to heat up rapidly. Eventually this heat will radiate into your car cabin.
On the other hand, there is the multi-layered film. These films insert colour pigments directly into polyester films. Since the colours are in the films, they will not turn your world into sepia like other films.
Using a 3M patented technology (Multi-layered Optical Film Technology), 3M Solar Films do not use metals to reflect or absorb heat.
Instead, the 3M films have multiple layers of micro-thin optical film layers which will help to reflect infrared and UV rays while allowing visible light to pass through.
It is with this technology that allows a lighter tinted 3M film to outperform many of the darker films in the market.
And since the films are neither dyed nor tinted, both the internal and external reflectivity of the film is low. No more "mirror" effects.
Want to win the newly launched 3M Crystalline Solar Film for your car?
All you need to do is to tell us what type of solar films you prefer. Also, share with us your solar film experiences using the link below.
