Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the the best option material to use from the automotive industry. However, in recent years, 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 most important used in a, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established to use in a variety of vehicle applications including decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is among those fields that provide the greatest growth possibility of PMMA.
Related key options that come with acrylic plastic which render it perfect for the entire process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To create a comparison on the very basic level, PMMA is half the body weight plus more transparent than glass, thereby providing magnificent visibility during true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Owing to its molecular structure, thermoformed polymer resin are actually used almost exclusively for car window glazing where each of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials that are safe, an easy task to process and perform in most weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another critical dependence on glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness coming from all thermoplastics even when uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you will find stringent conditions to get fulfilled to meet the best state of scratch resistance. The usage of a coating is therefore mandatory. Since PMMA is intrinsically UV along with weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is successful. As opposed, thermoplastics that have low resistance to 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 the eye of automobile manufacturers. Together with the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is currently seen as the right fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic along with its very 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 and also this operates as a major benefit over other thermoplastics including polycarbonate, that was primarily used for glazing before. Weighed against traditional materials including polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, provides a distinct possibility of functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The newest goal from the automotive marketplace is to produce clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Because of the awareness as well as the requirement of eco-friendly initiatives with the current economic general scheme of things, PMMA operates as a perfect alternative to glass from the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, so too is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that fulfill the latest challenges from the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for auto makers looking to adjust to recent environmental requirements and so are thinking of alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It’s the perfect partner with this movement because it can make cars lighter.
As a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to help you out understand its properties and the way it ideal to automotive glazing.
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