Mylar

Mylar
Anton · CC BY-SA 2.5 · source
Name	Mylar
Type	Polyester film
Invented	1950s
Inventor	Dupont, DuPont de Nemours
Molecular formula	(C10H8O4)n
Density	1.38 g/cm3
Melting point	~250 °C
Othernames	BoPET, biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate

Mylar is a trade name for a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate film developed in the mid-20th century and used in a wide array of industrial, artistic, scientific, and consumer applications. It was introduced commercially by chemical firms and packaging companies and quickly found roles in aerospace, electronics, archival storage, and popular culture. The material’s combination of tensile strength, chemical resistance, optical clarity, and barrier properties drove adoption by corporations, research institutes, and creative industries.

History

The development of the film was driven by research at corporations such as DuPont de Nemours, Imperial Chemical Industries, and later producers like Toray Industries and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. Early work drew on polymer chemistry advances from laboratories associated with figures like Wallace Carothers and institutions such as Bell Labs and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Commercialization in the 1950s and 1960s coincided with packaging innovations promoted by companies like 3M, Eastman Kodak, and General Electric, which adopted the film for electrical insulation and photographic backing. Military and aerospace interest from organizations such as NASA, Lockheed Corporation, and Northrop Grumman expanded its use for thermal blankets and instrumentation, while cultural adoption by entities including Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., and major publishing houses integrated the film into signage, cover art, and preservation. Legal and regulatory frameworks influenced manufacture and trade through bodies like the International Organization for Standardization and national agencies including the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Composition and Manufacturing

The polymer originates from polymerization pathways studied by chemists at corporations such as DuPont de Nemours and research centers affiliated with University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University. The base monomer, terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol, follows processes refined by firms including BASF, Dow Chemical Company, and SABIC. Manufacturers such as DuPont de Nemours, 3M, Toray Industries, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and Teijin extrude polyester melt onto chill rolls, then perform biaxial orientation using tenter-frame and tubular processes developed with engineering input from companies like Siemens and ABB Group. Surface treatments—corona discharge and plasma processing—are performed by specialist equipment vendors such as Parker Hannifin and Donaldson Company to improve adhesion for coatings applied by paint and coating corporations like AkzoNobel and PPG Industries. Metallization using vacuum deposition systems supplied by firms such as Applied Materials and ULVAC yields reflective coatings used in optics and insulation.

Physical and Chemical Properties

Polyethylene terephthalate films produced by manufacturers such as DuPont de Nemours, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, and Toray Industries exhibit tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and barrier properties characterized in standards by organizations like ASTM International and ISO. The film’s thermal behavior includes glass transition and melting temperatures studied in laboratories at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology; its dielectric properties made it useful to electrical engineers at Siemens and General Electric for capacitor manufacture. Optical clarity and low haze attracted photographers at Eastman Kodak and filmmakers at Paramount Pictures, while gas permeability parameters were quantified by researchers collaborating with Honeywell and 3M. The chemical resistance to acids and bases was evaluated in industrial labs at BASF and Dow Chemical Company, and accelerated aging tests were performed for archival standards used by institutions like the Library of Congress and the British Library.

Applications

Industrial and aerospace applications were advanced by contractors including Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing, using the film for thermal insulation, wiring wrap, and lightweight structures. In electronics, firms such as Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, and Intel Corporation used it for flexible circuits, display substrates, and capacitor dielectrics. Photographic and imaging sectors at Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm employed the film for support layers, while archival preservation by museums like the Smithsonian Institution and galleries such as the Tate galleries relied on it for enclosures and encapsulation. Packaging giants including Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé, and Procter & Gamble used the material for food and consumer goods barrier packaging. In arts and entertainment, major studios such as Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. used reflective and translucent variants for set design and special effects, while architects working with firms like Foster + Partners utilized it in façades and atria. Scientific instruments at CERN, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and European Space Agency adopted it for detectors, solar sails, and insulation.

Environmental and Health Considerations

Environmental assessments have been produced by agencies including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, European Chemicals Agency, and research centers at Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley. Issues include end-of-life management, recycling streams influenced by corporations like Veolia and SUEZ, and life-cycle analyses conducted by consultancies such as McKinsey & Company and ERM Group. Occupational safety standards from organizations like Occupational Safety and Health Administration and International Labour Organization guide handling in factories operated by multinationals such as Dupont de Nemours and Toray Industries. Degradation, microplastic formation, and incineration emissions have been the subject of studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Max Planck Society, informing policy discussions in the European Union and national legislatures including the United States Congress.