Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the the most appropriate material to use in the automotive industry. However, these days, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen on the growing demands with the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for important use within the industry, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established to use in many different vehicle applications including decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is among those fields that supply the greatest growth prospect of PMMA.
Related key popular features of acrylic plastic which make it perfect for the whole process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To create a comparison with a erogenous level, PMMA is half the body weight and much more transparent than glass, thereby providing crystal clear visibility even just in true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. As a result of its molecular structure, thermoformed acrylic glass are now used almost exclusively for car window glazing where each of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which are safe, simple to process and perform in every weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another essential requirement of glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has the highest surface hardness of most thermoplastics even when uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you can find stringent conditions to get fulfilled to meet the best condition of scratch resistance. The usage of a coating is therefore mandatory. Since PMMA is intrinsically UV in addition to weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is useful. In contrast, thermoplastics who have low effectiveness against weathering need a two-step coating system. This leads to relatively expense for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is 40 to 50 percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques the interest of automobile manufacturers. Using the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA has become viewed as the right 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 very little stress birefringence and this serves as a major benefit over other thermoplastics including polycarbonate, which was primarily employed for glazing in the past. In contrast to traditional materials including polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, comes with a distinct chance for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The new goal in the automotive marketplace is to build up clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Due to the awareness as well as the need for eco-friendly initiatives in today’s general scheme of things, PMMA serves as a perfect replacement for glass in the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, also is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that satisfy the latest challenges in the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for auto makers that want to adjust to recent environmental requirements and they are thinking about alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It is the perfect partner on this movement because it makes cars lighter.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to help you out understand its properties and the way it suitable to automotive glazing.
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