Heat Radiation & Insulation Using Solar Shades ... Made from Mylar

There are any number of different types of solar shades ranging from woven fabric to window tinting, but I want to talk about just one variety, and that is the one made out of Mylar®. Many companies advertise their shades as being made out of Mylar and claim several properties - including that the material is a by-product of the space age.

Mylar was developed in the mid-1950's by the DuPont Teijin Company of Hopewell, Virginia. It is a polyester film of very high tensile strength. It is chemically and directionally stable, and is both transparent and a good electrical insulator. In the early 1960s NASA launched a couple of Echo satellites - 100 foot diameter balloons made out of metallized Mylar film. Five layers of Mylar are used today in NASA's spacesuits both as an insulator and to resist radiation. When solar shade retailers claim that their Mylar shades are a by-product of the space age, the do so truthfully.

The method of manufacture of Mylar film is such that one side is microscopically smooth and the other microscopically rough - so much so that it is able to accept various coatings such as printing and metal coatings. When used as a solar shade the rough side is treated with a thin film of aluminum and in a hot environment the solar shade is fitted with the metallic side facing outwards. In this manner the shade reflects up to 95% of all light waves including 99% of harmful ultra-violet waves which normally induce fading in materials. It reflects more than 70% of the heat from the sun.

Transparent Mylar Solar Shades are normally comprised of a lamination of three layers metallized and dyed Mylar joined by applying pressure and heat for the best effect. The result is a very strong and flexible material. When used in winter the metallic layer of the shades reflects 25% of heat that would normally escape through a window back into the room. The shades are normally mounted on rollers so that if and when full daylight is desired they may be rolled up out of the way. Use of these shades has the added advantage of reducing air conditioning and heating costs because of their insulation properties.

There is no doubt that Mylar solar shades, if genuine, do what they claim to do. Mylar can be seen in everyday use in emergency vehicles as an emergency blanket to prevent a shock victim from losing body heat.