What is Acrylic Glass Characteristics and Uses

What is Acrylic Glass

Acrylic in the form of sheet material also received a second name – plexiglass (organic glass). Composed of thermoplastic resin (polymethyl methacrylate).

Colorless in nature. The material also has a common name – Plexiglas. In fact, this is one of the brands.

It is made in two ways:

Casting
Extrusion
Sheet acrylic produced by these methods differs only in molecular structure. The cast version is more resistant to cracking and has better toughness, which makes laser cutting easier.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF ACRYLIC GLASS

All sheet acrylic, regardless of the technology of its production, can be translucent or light-diffusing. The translucent version has an enviable transparency of 93%.

Note that ordinary window glass transmits about 88% of the light.

The ductility of the material guarantees it excellent bending and impact strength, which is almost 2 times higher than that of tempered glass.

Other features and benefits:

Lightweight (2.5 times lighter than glass of the same size and thickness)
Weather resistant
Sheet thickness from 2 to 200 mm
Does not break down under the influence of moisture and bacteria
Easy to process
Does not fade or become cloudy over time
Environmentally friendly
Warranty period – from 10 to 30 years

Of the relative disadvantages, a predisposition to scratches can be distinguished, although this same feature allows you to cut complex shapes and facilitates the process of drilling and engraving.

STORAGE FEATURES AND AVAILABLE TYPES OF PROCESSING

The material is recommended to be stored in a dry place with pasted protective films. The room temperature must be constant. It is processed by fairly simple tools and methods:

Heating allows sheets to be formed
Cutting can be done with a laminate knife, as well as using a programmable laser machine
Easily polished with wet sandpaper
With all the available processing methods, it is fundamentally important to remember that acrylic does not conduct heat well. In places of mechanical impact of high-speed tools, good heat dissipation should be ensured in order to avoid deformation of the material.

AREAS OF USE

The material was most widely used in the manufacture of promotional products and exhibition equipment. An abundance of processing methods make it possible to produce advertising boxes, three-dimensional letters with or without illumination, company signs, logos, etc.

Among the exhibition and trade equipment, acrylic is used for:

Showcases and shelves for shops
Souvenir products
Pointers
Interior finishes
Interior partitions made of glass
Office screens and partitions
shower cabins
Sanitary partitions
aircraft industry