Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the the best option material for usage in the automotive industry. However, in recent times, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen to the growing demands in the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for the best important use within the industry, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established for usage in a variety of vehicle applications such as decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one of those fields offering the highest growth potential for PMMA.
Related key top features of acrylic plastic making it well suited for the entire process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To produce a comparison on the erogenous level, PMMA is half the extra weight plus much more transparent than glass, thereby providing really clear visibility even during true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. As a result of its molecular structure, thermoformed acrylic glass have become used almost just for car window glazing where each of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which might be safe, simple to process and perform in all weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another significant requirement of glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness of most thermoplastics even when uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you’ll find stringent conditions to be fulfilled to fulfill the optimal state of scratch resistance. The application of a coating is therefore mandatory. Due to the fact PMMA is intrinsically UV and also weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is effective. As opposed, thermoplastics which may have low potential to deal with weathering need a two-step coating system. This leads to relatively high costs for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is 40 to 50 percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques a persons vision of automobile manufacturers. With all the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA has become known as the proper fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic along with its extremely high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less anxiety birefringence
PMMA exhibits hardly any stress birefringence this also functions as a major benefit over other thermoplastics such as polycarbonate, which has been primarily used by glazing in the past. In comparison with traditional materials such as polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, offers a distinct possibility of functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The modern goal in the automotive marketplace is to develop clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Due to the awareness as well as the dependence on eco-friendly initiatives in today’s scheme of things, PMMA functions as a perfect option to glass in the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the boundaries of design, so too is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that meet the latest challenges in the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for car makers that are looking for to sit in recent environmental requirements and therefore are considering alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It’s the perfect partner with this movement because it makes cars lighter.
As a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to help you out in understanding its properties and exactly how it best suited to automotive glazing.
Check out about acrylic glass check our web page: learn here