What makes a window film nano-ceramic?
Its heat control comes from what LLumar calls nano-ceramic technology rather than from dye or metal. LLumar’s IRX page describes that nano-ceramic as aimed squarely at infrared heat, and the spec sheet heads the line “Infrared-Rejecting Ceramic Window Tint”. The clear AIR series rests on the same idea; LLumar sells it as near-invisible ceramic protection from heat and UV.
Because the infrared blocking doesn’t depend on darkness, IRX rejects about the same infrared energy in every shade, 59 to 61% IRER, with no more shine than dyed film: its 5 to 7% visible reflection is no higher than dyed ATC’s. Brookswood Tint describes IRX and AIR as ceramic, not dyed.
How does nano-ceramic compare with other film types?
On LLumar’s sheet it leads at matching darkness. Four LLumar films at about 5% visible light, one from each construction:
| LLumar film at about 5% | Construction | TSER | IRER | Visible light reflected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATC 05 | Dyed | 44% | 22% | 5% |
| ATR 05 | Metallized | 61% | 54% | 6% |
| CTX 05 | Ceramic | 58% | 50% | 5% |
| IRX 05 | Nano-ceramic | 62% | 60% | 5% |
The metallized ATR comes close on heat, but LLumar’s ATR page describes it as having “a slightly reflective look”, and metal in a film can get in the way of radio signals, as covered in whether tint blocks phone or GPS signal. The full dyed-against-ceramic trade-off sits on ceramic vs dyed window tint; infrared figures are explained under IR rejection.
Is nano ceramic film the same as a ceramic coating?
No. Nano-ceramic film is a sheet applied to the inside of the glass, while a ceramic coating is applied to the car’s paint. They share a word and nothing else, which is why ceramic tint vs ceramic coating gets its own page.
Choosing nano-ceramic film for a car in BC
Pick IRX if you want heat control with a tinted look, or AIR if you want it with almost no change. IRX is stocked in 5, 15, 35 and 50%; the shop lists AIR at 70, 80 and 90%, and both are quoted as upgrades on the dyed rear packages. LLumar’s CTX ceramic line has gone on customer cars, a 911 Turbo S in CTX 15% among them, but isn’t on the current menu; LLumar CTX has its numbers.
Clear doesn’t change the law. BC’s MVAR s. 7.05(8) bars film, AIR included, from both front side windows and from all of the windshield except a 75 mm band along the top. The shop fits it there only for a driver who has heard the consequences first: it isn’t road-legal, Mission RCMP quotes a fine of $109 as typical for tint, and a Notice & Order can mean removal and inspection. The ceramic service itself is on ceramic window tint.