What is carbon window film made of?
Film with carbon spread through it in place of dye. SunTek’s Carbon and CXP page credits carbon particles, used where other films use simple dye, for the colour, and calls the upgraded CXP a “non-metal nano-hybrid carbon composition”. 3M’s Color Stable brochure describes its version as “nano-carbon polyester”, with the carbon dispersed through the film’s full thickness.
What the makers sell it on is stable colour and clean signals. SunTek’s page lists its carbon lines as “Signal Friendly”, and 3M calls Color Stable a “non-metallized window film” that leaves phones, GPS and satellite radio alone.
How does carbon film compare with dyed and ceramic film?
It sits between them, and which end it’s closer to depends on the line. SunTek’s specification sheet, measured to the same NFRC method on clear 6 mm glass as LLumar’s, gives these figures for films near 5% light:
| Film near 5% VLT | Type | TSER | IRER |
|---|---|---|---|
| LLumar ATC 05 | Dyed | 44% | 22% |
| SunTek Carbon 5 | Carbon | 46% | Not published |
| SunTek CXP 5 | Upgraded carbon | 60% | 54% |
| LLumar IRX 05 | Nano-ceramic | 62% | 60% |
Basic carbon lands within a few points of dyed film; the upgraded line closes most of the gap to ceramic. 3M’s carbon numbers can’t join this table, because 3M measures on green automotive glass rather than clear. The full side-by-side, shade by shade, is on ceramic vs carbon window tint.
Why carbon film isn’t on Brookswood Tint’s menu
Because the shop is a LLumar dealer, and LLumar’s automotive range is built from four constructions: its tint FAQ lists ceramic, metallized, dyed and clear, with no carbon. For the same jobs, the shop offers colour-stable dyed film when look and privacy matter most, and IRX nano-ceramic film when heat is the reason.
In BC, carbon, dyed and ceramic film are all treated alike: any shade is legal on the windows behind the driver. If you have a carbon quote from elsewhere, bring it with the shade and line named, and the shop will price IRX and ATC on the same windows.