Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)
3-8 usd/kgPolymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylic, is a transparent plastic often compared to glass. Indeed, the two materials are used in many of the same applications – glazing, aquariums, household items, tableware and furniture, for example – with acrylic being lighter, more resistant to impact and easier to form into complex and intricate shapes. The disadvantages of acrylic, when compared to glass is that it is not inert (glass is virtually inert) and will crack and weaken if exposed to certain chemicals, it softens and melts at much lower temperatures (160 degC versus 1,700 degC for glass), and it is less scratch resistant.
As a transparent plastic, it is available in standard and custom colours, from muted tones through saturated fluorescents. Edge glow is the result of light passing through the surface and refracting internally until it meets a cut edge in tinted or semi-transparent materials. This phenomenon is utilised in signage, lighting and instrument panels, for example, that are made from acrylic. A cut edge may be the perimeter, or a score on the surface, such as made by laser cutting or engraving.
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3D printing technologies based on photopolymer jetting (PolyJet) and stereolithography (SLA) use photopolymers that change properties when exposed to ultraviolet light. They are thermosetting plastics that are typically based on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylic or epoxy (EP), and form permanent cross-links between the polymer chains. They may be clear or opaque, flexible and rigid, and can be specially formulated to accommodate unique application needs.
They are only suitable for models and prototypes, because photopolymers are sensitive to ultraviolet light and will degrade over time, becoming discoloured and distorting. However, they offer unrivalled reproduction of detail and the option to produce multi-material models in a single process.
PolyJet builds by jetting layers of liquid photopolymer as thin as 16 microns layer by layer as a UV light cures simultaneously. It is possible to blend two or three base resins to create a huge range of materials from elastic to rigid and transparent to opaque, with full colour.
SLA builds parts with a precise UV laser to cure and solidify thin layers of polymer in a tank of liquid resin. The materials mimic the properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC) and polypropylene (PP) in layers as thin as 50 microns. SLA materials differ from PolyJet in that some offer higher impact resistance, heat deflection temperature and humidity resistance for functional prototyping or patterns.