What Is Mylar?

Mylar is a kind of plastic film. It is strong and has many uses. Let’s learn all about it!

What Is Mylar Made Of?

Mylar is made of a special plastic called PET (polyethylene terephthalate). It is not just any plastic. It is made in a special way to make it strong. [^1]

The way they make Mylar is:

• They melt the plastic
• They stretch it out
• They heat it up again

This makes Mylar thin but very tough. You can’t tear it with your hands!

Why Mylar Is Special

Mylar can do many things that other plastics can’t do. Here’s what makes it so good:

What Mylar Can Do	Why It Matters
Stays strong when hot or cold	Works from very cold (-70°C) to very hot (150°C) places [^2]
Keeps water and air out	Keeps food fresh for a long time
Doesn’t break down in acids	Safe for many uses
Blocks electricity	Good for safe wires and parts
Can be clear or shiny	Used for mirrors and screens

Mylar is so tough that it only starts to melt at 290°C. That’s hotter than your oven can get! [^3]

Places Where We Use Mylar

Mylar is all around us! Here are the top ways people use it:

1. Food Bags

Mylar bags keep food fresh for a long time. They keep out:

• Air
• Water
• Bugs
• Light

Many people use Mylar bags to store food for years. The bags keep the food from going bad.

2. Space Things

Did you know that NASA uses Mylar? They use it on:

• Space suits
• Satellites
• Space stations

The gold foil you see on space things is often Mylar with a thin layer of metal on it. It helps keep heat in or out. Space blankets that keep people warm use Mylar too. They can keep 90% of your body heat from going away! [^4]

3. Electronics

Mylar is used in many gadgets we use every day:

• Computer parts
• Phone parts
• Motors
• Wires

It helps keep electricity where it should be. Mylar can stop electricity up to 450 volts per tiny bit of thickness. That’s a lot! [^5]

4. Solar Panels

Solar panels use Mylar to catch more sun. The shiny side of Mylar bounces light back to the panel. This can make panels work better.

5. Medical Stuff

Hospitals use Mylar for:

• Keeping tools clean
• Parts in big machines like MRI
• Packaging for medicine

Mylar is good for medical use because it stays clean and doesn’t rust or rot.

6. Fun and Crafts

You’ve seen Mylar balloons at parties! They:

• Stay blown up longer than rubber balloons
• Are shiny and bright
• Don’t pop as easily

People also use Mylar for:

• Making signs
• Arts and crafts
• Stickers and labels

Good Things About Mylar

Mylar has many good points:

1. It is light but strong. You can’t tear it easily, but it doesn’t weigh much.
2. You can add things to it. They can make it:
   • Shiny (with metal)
   • Sticky (with glue)
   • Different colors
3. You can recycle it. It’s the same kind of plastic as soda bottles.

Not-So-Good Things About Mylar

But Mylar isn’t perfect:

1. It doesn’t break down in nature. This means it can be bad for the earth if thrown away.
2. The sun can hurt it over time. After 2-5 years in the sun, it can start to break down if it doesn’t have special things added to it. [^6]

How to Pick the Right Mylar

If you want to use Mylar, here’s how to choose the right kind:

How Thick?

Mylar comes in different thicknesses:

• Thin (0.5 mil): Bends easily, like a soft wrapper
• Medium (3-5 mil): Good for most uses, like food bags
• Thick (8-14 mil): Very strong, hard to bend

Note: A “mil” is a tiny bit of thickness (1/1000 of an inch).

What Coating?

You can get Mylar with different coatings:

• Metal coating: Makes it shiny and blocks light
• Sticky coating: Good for making stickers
• Clear: When you need to see through it

Special Kinds

Some Mylar has special marks that show it’s good for:

• Food (FDA marks)
• Safety (UL marks)
• Special jobs (MIL-SPEC marks)

Fun Facts About Mylar

Did you know these cool things about Mylar?

• Farm helpers: When used in farms, Mylar can help plants grow 20% more food! It bounces light to the plants. [^7]
• Old books and papers: Mylar helps keep old books safe because it doesn’t get yellow or break down. [^8]
• Most capacitors: 65% of all capacitors (parts in electronics) use Mylar. [^9]

Answers to Common Questions

How Mylar Helps in Different Jobs

Let’s look at how Mylar helps people do their jobs:

Doctors and Nurses

In hospitals, Mylar is used to:

• Keep tools clean and safe
• Help big machines like MRI work right
• Keep medicine fresh and clean

Space Workers

NASA workers use Mylar to:

• Keep astronauts warm in space
• Protect satellites from too much heat or cold
• Make space suits work better

Food Companies

People who make food use Mylar to:

• Keep food fresh for years
• Stop bugs from eating the food
• Make sure water and air don’t get in

Farmers

Farmers use Mylar to:

• Bounce more sun to plants
• Keep seeds safe until planting time
• Cover greenhouses

The Future of Mylar

Mylar has been around for many years, but people are still finding new ways to use it. Here’s what might be next:

1. Better for Earth: New kinds of Mylar that break down in nature
2. Super Tiny Tech: Using Mylar with very tiny machines
3. Even Stronger: Making Mylar that’s even harder to break or tear

Summary: Why Mylar Matters

Mylar is an amazing plastic film that helps us in many ways:

• It keeps food fresh
• It helps in space
• It makes our electronics work
• It’s used in hospitals
• It makes fun things like shiny balloons

Its special strength, heat protection, and water blocking make it useful in so many places. Now when you see a shiny balloon or a food bag that keeps things fresh for years, you’ll know – that’s Mylar at work!

[^1]: Based on source data from etcnmachining.com, which identifies Mylar as PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

[^2]: From sandia.gov data showing Mylar’s temperature range from -70°C to 150°C.

[^3]: Based on sandia.gov research showing thermal degradation begins at 290°C.

[^4]: From etcnmachining.com case study on emergency blankets retaining 90% body heat.

[^5]: From MatWeb data showing dielectric strength of 275-450 V/µm.

[^6]: From etcnmachining.com environmental data showing Mylar degrades after 2-5 years without additives.

[^7]: From etcnmachining.com market application data showing 20% crop yield increase.

[^8]: From etcnmachining.com data on archival material uses.

[^9]: From etcnmachining.com showing Mylar dominates 65% of global capacitor film market.

[^10]: Reiterating etcnmachining.com data on emergency blankets’ 90% heat retention.