Solar control laminates

1. A solar control laminate comprising a solar control layer and at least one additional layer, said solar control layer comprising a solar control composition, and said solar control composition comprising at least one infrared absorbing naphthalocyanine or rylene compound and an ethylene acid copolymer or an ionomer of an ethylene acid copolymer; wherein the at least one infrared absorbing naphthalocyanine or rylene compound is soluble in the solar control composition.

2. The solar control laminate of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the at least one naphthalocyanine or rylene compound is from about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the solar control composition.

3. The solar control laminate of claim 1 , wherein the solar control composition further comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of plasticizers, dispersants, surfactants, chelating agents, coupling agents, UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS), processing aides, flow enhancing additives, lubricants, pigments, dyes, flame retardants, impact modifiers, nucleating agents to increase crystallinity, antiblocking agents such as silica, thermal stabilizers, UV stabilizers, adhesives, primers, crosslinking agents, hardening agents, pH adjusting agents, antifoaming agents inorganic infrared absorbents, organic infrared absorbents and wetting agents.

4. A solar control laminate comprising a solar control layer and at least one additional layer, said solar control layer comprising a solar control composition, and said solar control composition comprising an ethylene acid copolymer or an ionomer of an ethylene acid copolymer and a concentration of an infrared absorbing naphthalocyanine or rylene compound; wherein said infrared absorbing naphthalocyanine or rylene compound is soluble in said solar control layer; wherein said solar control laminate has a layer thickness, a level of transmission of solar light and a level of transmission of visible light such that when the laminate is simulated using Simulation Method A, the simulated level of transmittance of visible light, T vis-sim , and the simulated level of transmittance of solar light, T sol-sim , are such that for a naphthalocyanine compound 0.65<T vis-sim <0.75 and T sol-sim <(0.472(T vis-sim )−0.150) and for a rylene compound 0.65<T vis-sim <0.75 and T sol-sim <(1.719(T vis-sim )−0.801).

5. The solar control laminate of claim 4 , wherein T sol-sim for a rylene compound <(1.952(T vis-sim )−1.008).

6. The solar control laminate of claim 4 , wherein T sol-sim for a rylene compound <(2.083(T vis-sim )−1.125).

7. The solar control laminate of claim 4 , wherein the naphthalocyanine compound is an alkoxy-substituted naphthalocyanine compound.

8. The solar control laminate of claim 4 , wherein the naphthalocyanine compound is a butoxy-substituted naphthalocyanine compound.

9. The solar control laminate of claim 4 , wherein the rylene compound is a quaterrylene compound or a substituted quaterrylene compound.

10. The solar control laminate of claim 4 , having a structure selected from the group consisting of polymeric sheet/solar control layer, rigid sheet/solar control layer, rigid sheet/polymeric sheet/solar control layer, first rigid sheet/polymeric sheet/solar control layer/additional polymeric sheet/second rigid sheet, rigid sheet/polymeric sheet/first solar control layer/additional polymeric sheet/additional film, rigid sheet/additional polymeric sheet/additional film/polymeric sheet/solar control layer, and first rigid sheet/polymeric sheet/solar control layer/additional polymeric sheet/second rigid sheet/second additional polymeric sheet/additional film/third additional polymeric sheet/third rigid sheet, wherein “/” indicates adjacent layers, wherein the solar control layer may be a film or a sheet, wherein the “second” layer of any film or sheet may be the same as or different from the first layer of that film or sheet, and wherein the “third” layer may be the same as or different from the first and second layers of that film or sheet; and further wherein said rigid sheet is selected from the group consisting of glass sheets; polymeric sheets comprising one or more of polycarbonates, acrylics, polyacrylates, cyclic polyolefins, and metallocene-catalyzed polystyrenes; metal plates; and ceramic plates.

11. A method of reducing the transmission of infrared radiation to the interior of a structure having an exterior window, said method comprising the steps of

a. constructing a solar control laminate according to claim 4 ; and

b. inserting the solar control laminate into the exterior window of the structure.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the structure is a building or a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the naphthalocyanine compound is an alkoxy-substituted naphthalocyanine compound or a butoxy-substituted naphthalocyanine compound.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rylene compound is a quaterrylene compound or a substituted quaterrylene compound.