Polycarbonate had earned the tag as the the most suitable material to be used from the automotive industry. However, recently, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen to the growing demands with the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for the best important use in the market, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established to be used in several vehicle applications including decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one kind of those fields that offer the very best growth potential for PMMA.
Related key popular features of acrylic plastic making it perfect for the operation of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To generate a comparison over a standard level, PMMA is half the extra weight plus much more transparent than glass, thereby providing magnificent visibility even just in the truth of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Due to its molecular structure, thermoformed Acrylic Plastic have become used almost mainly for car window glazing where all of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which are safe, simple to process and perform in most weathers are met.
On top of Scratch Resistance
Another significant requirement for glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has got the highest surface hardness of thermoplastics even if uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you can find stringent conditions being fulfilled in order to meet the best condition of scratch resistance. The application of a coating thus remains mandatory. Considering that PMMA is intrinsically UV and also weathering-resistant, a single-step coating works well. On the other hand, thermoplastics who have low capacity weathering need a two-step coating system. This leads to relatively expense 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. With all the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA has become known as the best fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic as well as its very 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 and also this functions as a major benefit over other thermoplastics including polycarbonate, that has been primarily employed for glazing before. Compared with traditional materials including polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, provides a distinct chance of functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The modern goal from the automotive industry is to formulate clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Because of the awareness along with the requirement for eco-friendly initiatives in the current scheme of things, PMMA functions as a perfect replacement for glass from the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the boundaries 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 that want to sit in recent environmental requirements and therefore are contemplating alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. Oahu is the perfect partner with this movement given it can make cars lighter.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to help you out understand its properties and how it suitable to automotive glazing.
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