GALLERY
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Back Organic glass/Acrylic
Description
Organic glass offers extraordinary properties and is used in many areas — construction, design, automobile, aviation, plumbing industries, as well as household applications (acrylic sheets are intended to replace glass). Organic glass is a product of radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate — polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylic glass, acryl.
There are two types of acrylic sheet glass, depending on how they are produced:
1. Extruded acrylic — produced by continuous extrusion of melted mass of granulated PMMA through a sheet die, which is then cooled and cut according to specified sizes
2. Cast acrylic — produced by casting of MMA between two flat sheets and solid-state polymerization
Cast acrylic has high molecular weight, compared to extruded acrylic sheet, and therefore possesses superior impact and heat resistance properties, as well as lesser and even contraction in two orthogonally related directions after temperature release. Cast and extruded acrylic have few differences in physical and mechanical properties; however, cast acrylic is more preferable for thermoforming.
Features
Color stability, light stability, high light transmission, superior chemical and weather resistance
Light transmission equivalent to glass (92%), which does not change over time and retains the original color
Impact resistance over 5 times equivalent of glass
Organic glass weighs almost 2.5 times less than equally thick glass, eliminating the need for additional support and creating an illusion of open space
Wet strength and resistance to bacterial attack that allow the material to be used in glazing for yachts and aquariums
Organic glass does not have any toxic combustion emissions
Excellent detail formability by thermoforming without loss of optical clarity
Easily machined as in wood processing
Weatherability, frost resistance
UV light transmission of 75%, preventing yellowing and loss of strength
Chemical resistance
Dielectric properties
Subject to utilization
Basic colors: clear, opal, green, blue, red, yellow, black
Disadvantages of organic glass are low impact resistance (10—12 kJ per sq. m), liability to surface damages (hardness 180—190 H per sq. mm), processing problems during thermoforming and vacuum forming — occurrence of internal stresses along the folds during forming, which eventually causes microcracks. To relieve the stresses a product needs to be annealed in a furnace at 70—80 °C for 3—5 hours.
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