Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the most appropriate material for usage within the automotive industry. However, these days, 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 important use within the market, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established for usage in a variety of vehicle applications for example decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one of those fields that offer the best growth potential for PMMA.
Related key popular features of acrylic plastic which render it ideal for the operation of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Light-weight
To make a comparison on the standard level, PMMA is half the extra weight and much more transparent than glass, thereby providing crystal clear visibility even in true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. As a result of its molecular structure, thermoformed thermoplastic resin are now used almost mainly 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 of the weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another critical desire for glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness of thermoplastics even when uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you’ll find stringent conditions to get fulfilled to fulfill the best condition of scratch resistance. The effective use of a coating is thus mandatory. Since PMMA is intrinsically UV along with weathering-resistant, a single-step coating works well. In contrast, thermoplastics which may have low potential to deal with weathering have to have a two-step coating system. This results in relatively expensive for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is Forty to fifty percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques a person’s eye of automobile manufacturers. Using the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is now considered the proper fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic along with its high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less stress birefringence
PMMA exhibits almost no stress birefringence this also serves as a major benefit over other thermoplastics for example polycarbonate, that was primarily employed for glazing during the past. Compared with traditional materials for example polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, supplies a distinct chance of functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The brand new goal within the automotive industry is to produce clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Due to the awareness and the requirement for eco-friendly initiatives with the current economic scheme of things, PMMA serves as a perfect replacement for glass within the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, also is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that meet the latest challenges within the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for car makers that are looking to sit in recent environmental requirements and so are considering alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It’s the perfect partner in this movement since it helps make cars lighter.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to help you to understand its properties and just how it most suitable to automotive glazing.
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