Everything About Acrylic Plastics

 
 

What is acrylic plastic? That is the question that has brought you here. These topics can be a little hazy if you do not have much knowledge about plastics. But we will help you understand what it is. Acrylic plastic is a type of plastic that is our topic of discussion. 

In this blog, we will explain what acrylic plastic is and the various concepts required to help you grasp the broad idea of acrylic plastic. So, without further ado, let us begin!

What Is Acrylic Plastic?

Acrylic plastic is a translucent plastic that is more commonly known as plexiglass. It is extremely flexible and durable and has optical clarity. It shares various resemblances with another plastic material called polycarbonate. But one key difference between these two types of plastics is that acrylic plastic does not contain a potentially harmful matter called bisphenol-A [BPA] that polycarbonate does.

Acrylic plastic offers a high-impact resistance, making it ideal as a replacement for glass. Sheets made from acrylic plastic are easy to handle and blend with many other substances, such as organic solvents and adhesives.

Technical Specification Of Acrylic Plastic

The following are the technical specification of acrylic plastics:

  • Technical name – Acrylic [PMMA]

  • Chemical formula – [C5H802]n

  • Mele temperature – 130 degrees C or 266 degrees F 

  • Relative density – 1.19 g/ cm3

  • Typical Injection Mould Temperature – 79-107 degreesC [175-225°F] 

  • Refractive index – 1.49

  • Tensile Strength– 65 MPa [9400 PSI]

  • Shrink Rate – 0.2 – 1% [.002 – .01 in/in]

  • Heat Deflection Temperature [HDT] – 95°C [203°F] at 0.46 MPa [66 PSI]

  • Flexural Strength – 90 MPa [13000 PSI]

  • Specific Gravity – 1.18

Advantages Of Acrylic Plastic

As you might have already guessed, acrylic plastics offer way too many advantages over others. The following are some of the major advantages:

  • Acrylic plastic is light in weight.

  • It is extremely durable.

  • It is flexible.

  • It is easy to process.

  • It is easier to maintain.

  • It is temperature resistant.

  • Acrylic plastics are desirable as they are UV resistant.

  • It provides resistance against chemicals.

  • It is impact resistant as well.

  • It is transparent.

  • It can be bent and shaped according to the requirements.

  • It offers decent scratch resistance.

  • Since they are high-impact, they have a longer life.

Application Of Acrylic Plastic

Acrylic plastic has various applications, and we have listed a few of them down below:

  • Machine parts

  • Lenses

  • Display models

  • Glazing

  • Eye frames

  • Signage

  • Shelving

  • Document covers

  • Windows

  • Doors

  • Roof lighting

  • Other architectural applications

  • Medical machine parts

  • And more

Conclusion

That was all you needed to know about acrylic plastic. We began with what is acrylic plastic, its properties in technical specifications and listed its advantages. And lastly, we discussed the applications of acrylic plastic.

This sums up the basic information you should know about acrylic plastic. 

 
 
Cathy Ellis