Toray Plastics (America), Inc., (www.toraytpa.com), the only United States manufacturer of polypropylene, polyester, metallized, and bio-based films, has developed a bio-based bi-axially oriented polyester (BOPET) film for use in the manufacture of solar control window films for commercial and residential applications. New Lumirror® brand BioView™ PET film is manufactured with Toray’s proprietary sustainable resin blends, which are made with approximately 30 percent renewable feedstock. The BioView™ bio-based PET film’s performance is equal to that of traditional solar window films during solar film manufacturing, installation, and use in technically demanding applications that require exceptional optical clarity. Toray Plastics is the global leader in the manufacture of traditional films, made with or without UV protection, used for solar window film applications. The company has been on the leading edge of bio-based resin technology and plans to produce polyester film to be used in the manufacture of solar control window film that is made entirely of sustainable feedstock. A patent is pending for the new film.

“This is a very exciting development for window film technology and for the commercial and residential building markets,” says Milan Moscaritolo, Senior Sales and Marketing Director of the Lumirror Division. “The construction industry continues to look for innovative ways to help developers reduce energy costs. Creating a film that lessens the impact on the environment, without sacrificing solar protection performance, was the natural next step in the evolution of the technology. The BioView™ film represents a perfect marriage between an environment-friendly film and an energy-saving application.”

Moscaritolo also reports that in 2014, when Toray installed the finished bio-based solar window film at office and manufacturing plant locations on its 70-acre campus in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, the installation was seamless and the film’s performance has been excellent. He notes that Toray’s use of bio-based solar window film is another component of the company’s multi-faceted sustainability program and further burnishes its environment-friendly profile.

New BioView™ bio-based film is a multi-layer structure with surface and optical qualities that are strictly controlled by Toray’s proprietary co-extrusion technology.  It is notable for its very low haze, excellent handling and processing characteristics, and high scratch resistance. 

For more information about Toray Plastics (America)'s new BioView™ bio-based film used in the manufacture of solar control window films for commercial and residential applications, visit www.toraytpa.com.