There really is an awful lot of confusion about this. I get questions about this at least 2-3 times per week here at EWF.
If the film’s construction includes the Titanium Nitride (TiN) or Antimony Tin Oxide (ATO) nano particles, it can be technically referred to as a ceramic. The most significant difference is how the particles are deposited. The most precise method is via sputtering. Films like Huper are sputtered. Another (popular) method is to insert them into the laminating adhesive, since Tin and ATO can be purchased in a liquid suspension. This method is somewhat less precise, but it does achieve the objective of depositing the particles onto the film.
Most of this information is probably a bit too much for the average consumer to absorb.
The single most common misconception involves the base film itself. When people hear the term ceramic, they think about coffee cups and fancy dinner plates. Ceramic films are polyester films (PET), just like all other films. The difference is that they have the nano particles either sputtered or liquid coated on to them. Remember that the particles themselves comprise a miniscule percentage of the film’s total mass.
You can think of them as a typical roll of polyester window film (PET Film) with a special coating (either sputtered or liquid coated/laminated).
I hope this helps.
-Howard
