3M Scotchshield Safety & Security Window Film System S2400
At a Glance
3M Scotchshield Safety & Security Window Film System S2400 is the next generation of security window film from 3M Company. It is 24 mils (.024”) thick and unlike traditional PET-based window films, 3M S2400 is made of urethane, which is more flexible than PET and provides substantially greater Elongation at Break (560%). Like traditional interior applied safety films, S2400 is optically clear and blocks out 99% of the sun’s UV rays.
3M S2400 Window Film and Impact Protection Adhesive can help prevent unwanted entry, minimize damage caused by spontaneous glass breakage, and turn standard glass into safety glazing.
S2400 is tested to the following standards:
- 16 CFR 1201
- ANSI Z97.1
- UL 972
- ASTM F1233
3M Safety & Security Window Films, such as S2400, are not tested to ASTM F3561-22. Please read 3M’s technical bulletin explaining why.
A New Generation
3M Scotchshield Security Window Film S2400 represents a new generation of security film. That’s because S2400 is made of urethane whereas most other security films of similar thickness are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Urethane is more stretchable than PET and will continue to absorb more energy as it stretches.
Comparing urethane to PET is like comparing apples and oranges. That means comparing a urethane to a PET-based film using typical industry characteristics is unrealistic due to the different natures of PET and urethane.
Side-by-Side Comparison
S2400 | 22-mil PET | Advantage | |
---|---|---|---|
Thickness The thickness of the film expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils). | 0.024" | 0.022" | S2400 |
Maximum Elongation Maximum Elongation is the percent increase of the film’s original length up until the point it breaks. | 560% | 130% | S2400 |
Break Strength Break Strength measures the maximum amount of stress or force the film can withstand until the point of breaking after being stretched or pulled in opposite directions. It is usually expressed in units of force per unit area. In this case, pounds per inch. | 77 lbs/in | 469 lbs/in | 22-mil PET |
Tensile Strength Tensile Strength measures the maximum amount of stress or force the film can withstand until the point of breaking after being stretched or pulled in opposite directions. It is different from Break Strength because it is independent of a film’s thickness, thereby removing thickness as a variable of evaluation. It is expressed in pounds per square inch (PSI). | 3,200 psi | 22,000 psi | 22-mil PET |
As you can see from the table above, it is not feasible to compare a urethane to a PET-based film using typical performance characteristics such as Break Strength and Tensile Strength. That’s because urethane and PET are different materials with different physical properties and characteristics.
Given the infeasibility of comparing Maximum Elongation, Break Strength, and Tensile Strength, what physical characteristic can you justifiably compare that removes the differences between urethane and PET?
Graves Tear
3M testing shows that a film’s Graves Tear measure is a valid indication of the film’s ability to hold broken glass in place when the glass is exposed to some sort of trauma (forced entry, bomb blast, windstorm, etc). What is being measured by Graves Tear is the force necessary to tear a film at a stress concentration point.
The graph below shows what happens when you elongate (stretch) 3M S2400 and a 22-mil PET-based film. As you stretch the films, the resisting force is measured and recorded. More force is required to break the PET-based film but that film breaks much faster than S2400. The area under both curves is then calculated and compared to determine which film has greater Graves Tear. S2400 has 66% more area under its curve than does the 22-mil PET-based film, thereby allowing S2400 to better absorb energy from an impact.
S2400 | 22-mil PET | |
---|---|---|
Graves Tear | 24.6 lbf*in | 14.8 lbf*in |
Summary
Warranty Information
3M Scotchshield Safety & Security Window Film System S2400 films are warrantied by 3M Company against premature product failure (bubbling, cracking, crazing, peeling, blistering, delamination, and discoloration). 3M also protects against thermal shock fracture and seal failure for up to 60 months and 40 months, respectively, depending upon the application.
(Please see warranty for terms and conditions.)