Polycarbonate had earned the tag as the the most suitable material to use inside the automotive industry. However, recently, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen for the growing demands in the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for the best important used in the, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established to use in a number of vehicle applications like decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one kind of those fields that provide the highest growth prospect of PMMA.
Related key top features of acrylic plastic which render it well suited for the process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Light-weight
To produce a comparison on the standard level, PMMA is half the body weight and much more transparent than glass, thereby providing magnificent visibility even just in true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Owing to its molecular structure, thermoformed Acrylic Plastic have become used almost just for car window glazing where all of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which are safe, easy to process and perform in most weathers are met.
On top of Scratch Resistance
Another significant requirement of glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has got the highest surface hardness of most thermoplastics regardless if uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you will find stringent conditions being fulfilled in order to meet the optimal condition of scratch resistance. The use of a coating is thus mandatory. Given that PMMA is intrinsically UV along with weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is useful. In comparison, thermoplastics who have low potential to deal with weathering require a two-step coating system. This brings about relatively expense 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 has become known as 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 negative feelings birefringence
PMMA exhibits almost no stress birefringence which serves as a major benefit over other thermoplastics like polycarbonate, which was primarily used by glazing during the past. Compared with traditional materials like polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, offers a distinct potential for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The new goal inside the automotive industry is to build up clean low fuel consumption vehicles. In the awareness as well as the dependence on eco-friendly initiatives in the current general scheme of things, PMMA serves as a perfect alternative to glass inside the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, also is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that match the latest challenges inside the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for car makers that are looking for to sit in recent environmental requirements and therefore are contemplating alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. Oahu is the perfect partner on this movement because it helps make cars lighter.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to help you understand its properties and how it most suitable to automotive glazing.
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