Polycarbonate had earned the tag as the the best option material for usage from the automotive industry. However, in recent times, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen towards the growing demands with the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate which are more important use within the market, namely, automotive glazing.

Long established for usage in a variety of vehicle applications including decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one of those fields that provide the best growth possibility of PMMA.
Related key features of acrylic plastic which render it well suited for the operation of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Light-weight
To create a comparison on the erogenous level, PMMA is half the weight plus more transparent than glass, thereby providing crystal clear visibility even during the case of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. As a result of its molecular structure, thermoformed acrylic sheet are used almost just for car window glazing where every one of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which might be safe, very easy to process and perform in all of the weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another essential requirement of glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness of all thermoplastics even though uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, there are stringent conditions to become fulfilled to fulfill the ideal state of scratch resistance. The usage of a coating thus remains mandatory. Since PMMA is intrinsically UV as well as weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is useful. On the other hand, thermoplastics that 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 the eye of automobile manufacturers. Using the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is now viewed as the best fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic with its quite high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less negative feelings birefringence
PMMA exhibits hardly any stress birefringence and also this serves as a major benefit over other thermoplastics including polycarbonate, which was primarily employed for glazing before. Weighed against traditional materials including polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, provides a distinct potential for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The modern goal from the automotive marketplace is to develop clean low fuel consumption vehicles. In the awareness as well as the need for eco-friendly initiatives in the current general scheme of things, PMMA serves as a perfect substitute for glass from the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the boundaries of design, also is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that satisfy the latest challenges from the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for auto makers that are looking for to sit in recent environmental requirements and they are thinking of alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It does not take perfect partner within this movement given it tends to make cars lighter.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to help you out in understanding its properties and exactly how it best suited to automotive glazing.
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