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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High impact grades of moulded acrylic have been developed for automotive parts (inside and outside), optical goods (lenses, for example), white goods (such as washing machine doors), mobile phone screens and back covers, and industrial parts.
Laserable laminated acrylics are sheet materials with a thin coloured top layer, which is selectively removed by laser etching to produce graphics, signage, badges, trophies, ledger plates and control panels. It is suitable for interior and exterior use. It is similar to traffolyte, the paper-melamine (phenolic) high-pressure laminate used in the same type of applications.