The Shiny History of Mylar: How It Went from Being Invented in a Lab in the 1950s to Being Used Every Day
Mylar is the crinkly, shiny plastic film that you see in everything from potato chip bags to shiny party balloons. It has a surprisingly long history. This flexible material, which was first used in the middle of the 20th century, changed the way things were packaged and even made it into space. This blog post will talk about when and how Mylar was made, who made it, and how it became a popular way to package things. We’ll learn about important events and interesting stories about this shiny polyester film along the way.
The Making of a Miracle Film in the 1950s
Mylar is the name of a certain kind of plastic: biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET), which is a kind of polyester film. Scientists at DuPont came up with it in the early 1950s, building on earlier work by Britain’s Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) on polyester plastics. DuPont actually used the name “Mylar” for the first time in June 1951 and registered it in 1952 for its new polyester film product. This was the start of a material that would soon amaze the world with how strong and useful it was.
In 1954, the first commercial production of Mylar film began at a DuPont plant in Circleville, Ohio. This plant had the world’s first large-scale BoPET production line. DuPont was so sure of Mylar’s strength that they famously used a sheet of it to lift a three-ton car off the ground. This was a literal show of strength for the new film. Mylar’s properties were truly amazing: it is very strong for its thinness, doesn’t stretch or tear, is resistant to heat and chemicals, and can be made to reflect light or be clear. It is very important for packaging because it keeps air out and keeps things fresh by sealing out oxygen, moisture, and UV light. Mylar’s unique combination of strength and barrier properties made it a possible game-changer for many fields.
It’s important to remember that Mylar was part of a bigger polyester boom. DuPont and ICI were competing to come up with new ideas. British chemists patented the PET polymer, which is the basis of polyester, in 1941. By the 1950s, both ICI and DuPont were trying to make films and fibres out of this polymer. Mylar film came out soon after DuPont’s polyester fibre (Dacron) in the early 1950s. It was the first member of the new polyester family. In the UK, ICI made a similar PET film called Melinex, and in Germany, it was called Hostaphan. Mylar quickly became known as the first plastic film with two orientations that could be made on a large scale for sale.
A new material that can do a lot of things makes a big splash.
Mylar wasn’t just used for food or product packaging from the very beginning. It was used in a lot of surprising ways that showed how creative it was. By 1953, Buckminster Fuller, a visionary architect, was already using Mylar as the skin for a geodesic dome because it was light and strong. Around the same time, engineers and photographers started to use Mylar film. In 1955, Eastman Kodak began using Mylar (which they called “ESTAR”) as a base for photographic and X-ray film because it was much stronger and heat-resistant than older film bases. For example, reconnaissance planes could now carry very long rolls of film (over a mile of film on a single reel) without the film breaking. This was not possible before Mylar’s strong, thin film came along.
Mylar even made waves in the music world. Drummers had been using calfskin drumheads that were sensitive to humidity for a long time. In 1957, drum makers like Remo Inc. came out with the first synthetic drumheads made of Mylar, which was a welcome change. Remo D. Belli, a professional drummer who became an inventor, made a “Mylar®” drumhead that could handle changes in temperature and moisture. This changed the way drum kits were made all over the world. These Mylar drumheads, which were sold under the name “Weather King,” quickly became the standard in the industry. They let drummers stop having to retune their instruments all the time because of wet or dry weather.
The early space program may have been the most dramatic use of Mylar. NASA sent up the Echo 1 satellite in 1960. It was basically a huge balloon made of metallised Mylar film that reflected light. Echo 1 was 100 feet wide and only a few millimetres thick, but it kept its shape in orbit and bounced radio signals from Earth. This was a very early satellite communications test. People were amazed that a flimsy-looking plastic film could be blown up into a huge, stable satellite. This showed how strong and waterproof Mylar is. NASA sent up Echo 2, an even bigger Mylar balloon satellite, a few years later in 1964. Around the same time, NASA and the military also started using Mylar because it keeps heat in. NASA made the famous “space blankets” in 1964. These are thin, shiny emergency blankets that can keep body heat in. They used Mylar’s reflective properties to do this. And that wasn’t the end of the space use: the Apollo astronauts’ spacesuits in 1969 had five layers of aluminised Mylar film in each suit to keep them warm and safe from extreme temperatures. Mylar literally went to the Moon and was part of one of the greatest adventures in human history.
By the middle of the 1960s, it was clear that Mylar could be used in a lot of different ways. It had shown its worth (literally, when covered in aluminium) in photography, space, medicine, and even music. But maybe its biggest effect was still to come: in the simple packages and bags that keep everyday foods and goods safe.
Mylar is getting popular in packaging
Mylar became famous for its early high-profile uses, but it was in the packaging world that it really became a star. In the 1960s and 1970s, companies started to realise that this shiny polyester film could help keep food and other perishable items fresh for a long time. Mylar was at the forefront of a revolution in flexible packaging.
One of the best things about Mylar is that it makes an almost airtight seal when used as a thin film lining or wrapping. Food companies quickly saw how useful it was. By the end of the 1960s, coffee beans, nuts, and snacks were being sold in Mylar bags lined with foil. These bags kept oxygen and moisture out, which made the food last much longer. Mylar was a better barrier than older cellophane or waxed paper packages, which let air and moisture in. This kept foods fresh and crisp. A lot of the foil snack bags we know and love, like potato chip or crisp bags, are really laminates of Mylar film with a thin layer of aluminium inside. This makes them strong and keeps oxygen out. The same is true for those shiny drink pouches, like Capri Sun juice pouches. They stay fresh and last longer because they are made with layers of Mylar. Mylar’s ability to resist heat also meant that it could be used in oven-roasting bags (for turkey, anyone?) and as lids on yoghurt cups. It doesn’t melt at cooking temperatures and keeps a tight seal so no germs can get in.
Switching to Mylar packaging often made products last longer. Kellogg’s, for example, found that using Mylar pouches for its famous Pop-Tarts toaster pastries kept them fresher than the old packaging. At first, Pop-Tarts were wrapped in plain foil. Later, Kellogg’s switched to Mylar-reinforced foil pouches to make the pastries last longer and keep them fresher. This meant that breakfast lovers everywhere could enjoy tarts that tasted better and lasted longer. Mylar was replacing cellophane and other older packaging films because it did a better job all around. According to one expert in the field, Mylar packaging was better than older paper or cellophane packs from previous decades because it kept food and even medicine fresh for much longer.
In the 1970s, you could see the effects of Mylar everywhere in a supermarket, even if you didn’t know it. The shiny, metallic lining on the inside of your potato chip bag? That’s Mylar. The seal on the jar of instant coffee or the bag of dried camping food? Probably Mylar. This strong film that could keep things safe from air, moisture, and even light helped flexible packaging like pouches, sachets, and sealed bags become more popular. Mylar really did change how we store and sell food. It helped start the era of convenience foods that could sit on shelves for months or even years, all the while being protected by a plastic guard that was almost invisible.
Interesting facts and important events in Mylar’s past
There are many interesting facts and milestones along the way that show how Mylar went from being invented to being everywhere. Here are some important things that show how it has affected and left a mark:
The name “Mylar” became a common word: Mylar’s shiny, flexible film became so popular that it became a common word. People often use “Mylar” to mean any metallic-looking plastic film, even if it’s made by a different brand. This is like how people say “Tupperware” for any plastic container or “Thermos” for any vacuum flask. Mylar is a trademark of DuPont Teijin Films, but most people use it as a general term because it is so well-known.
Hoisting Cars and Other Stunts: Early publicity stunts showed how strong Mylar was. DuPont’s demonstration of lifting cars in the 1950s showed that a strip of Mylar could hold thousands of pounds. Engineers also discovered that Mylar film could withstand harsh conditions. It doesn’t rust or rot, it’s hard to puncture, and a thin layer can hold in pressurised helium or air (as shown by the Echo satellites and, on a smaller scale, party balloons).
Shiny Balloons Take Flight: By the way, Mylar made our parties a little shinier. The foil party balloons you see at birthdays and graduations today, which are often shaped like stars or hearts, were first made in the 1970s when Mylar film became cheap enough to make fun things. These balloons are usually made of a thin aluminised Mylar film. They don’t stretch and can hold helium for a lot longer than rubber balloons. They quickly became a holiday tradition, but they can also be a pain when they get stuck in power lines, as utility companies can tell you!
Emergency Blankets and Marathon Capes: By the late 1970s, metallised Mylar “space blankets” were being made in large quantities for public use. They are those thin, shiny silver blankets that can keep body heat in. Today, people often give them to marathon runners at the finish line or keep them in their cars for emergencies. This is a direct result of the space-age technology that Mylar made possible in the 1960s.
Preserving Archives: The stability of Mylar also made it a hero in libraries and archives. Archivists started using Mylar sleeves to protect old documents, photos, and comic books because Mylar polyester film doesn’t break down or become acidic like some plastics do. The Library of Congress says that Mylar (polyester) film is good for storing old things because it is clear, strong, and won’t react with the things it protects. In a way, Mylar helps keep history safe.
Aerospace and Insulation: Mylar is still used as a thermal insulator in satellites and spacecraft, even after the Apollo program. It is often covered in aluminium, which helps it reflect the harsh sunlight of space. If you’ve seen pictures of satellites or the International Space Station wrapped in shiny gold or silver foil, that’s usually a type of Mylar or similar film that is doing important protective work.
Continued Innovation: Mylar’s family has gotten bigger. The original movie led to a lot of different things that were better than the original. For example, Twistable wrappers for candies (like the shiny wraps on chocolates) use a type of polyester film that holds a twist, and holographic gift wrap is often a lacquered Mylar. For more than 70 years, Mylar has been the best flexible film, and companies are always coming up with new ways to use it (for everything from electronics to solar panels).
From a Marvel in the Middle Ages to a Mainstay Today
Since it was invented, Mylar has become a miracle that happens every day, even though most people don’t notice it. It is very important in many situations. In the 1950s, scientists came up with something new in the lab. Now, we use it every day, whether we’re opening a bag of snacks or looking at shiny balloons at a party. The chemists at DuPont and ICI, the inventors who came up with clever ways to use it, and the companies that made it in large quantities probably had no idea how deeply Mylar would affect modern life.
The story of Mylar shows how smart people can be and how materials can take unexpected turns. A polymer found while looking for new fabrics became a space-age reflector, a way to keep food fresh, a musical breakthrough, and a household name in plastic. It has been around since the Cold War, when it sent radio satellites into space, and it is still around today, when it keeps our coffee fresh and our important papers safe from decay. And through it all, Mylar still has that little bit of magic. It’s just a thin sheet of polyester, but it can lift cars, survive space, and keep a sandwich fresh for months. For something as thin as a hair, that’s not bad!
As we end this shiny trip down memory lane, take a moment to appreciate the simple Mylar the next time you crinkle a shiny package. That shiny film in your hand is the result of decades of progress. Mylar has made history since it was first made in a lab in the 1950s. It’s still going strong today and will be for a long time to come. Cheers to Mylar, the first company to make packaging that is still going strong!
