5 Reasons Why Acrylic Plastic Is employed For Automotive Glazing

Polycarbonate had earned the tag as the the most appropriate material for use within the automotive industry. However, these days, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen to the growing demands with the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for important utilization in the industry, namely, automotive glazing.

Long established for use in several vehicle applications such as decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one kind of those fields that provide the highest growth possibility of PMMA.
Related key options that come with acrylic plastic making it ideal for the whole process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Light-weight
To generate a comparison over a erogenous level, PMMA is half the extra weight and more transparent than glass, thereby providing superior visibility even in true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Owing to its molecular structure, thermoformed polymer resin are now used almost mainly for car window glazing where every one of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which can be safe, an easy task to process and perform in all weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another critical desire for glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has got the highest surface hardness of all thermoplastics even when uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you can find stringent conditions to become fulfilled to meet the best condition of scratch resistance. The usage of a coating is thus mandatory. Given that PMMA is intrinsically UV along with weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is useful. On the other hand, thermoplastics which may have low potential to deal with weathering demand a two-step coating system. This results in relatively high costs for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is 40 to 50 percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques a person’s eye of automobile manufacturers. Together with the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is now known as the right fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic in addition to its very high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less anxiety birefringence
PMMA exhibits almost no stress birefringence and also this serves as a major benefit over other thermoplastics such as polycarbonate, that has been primarily employed for glazing before. Compared with traditional materials such as polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, supplies a distinct chance of functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The new goal within the automotive marketplace is to formulate clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Due to the awareness and the requirement of eco-friendly initiatives in the present scheme of things, PMMA serves as a perfect option to glass within the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, so too is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that match the latest challenges within the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for car makers that want to adjust to recent environmental requirements and so are contemplating alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It’s the perfect partner within this movement because it makes cars lighter.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to assist you in understanding its properties and just how it ideal to automotive glazing.
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