Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the the best option material for use from the automotive industry. However, recently, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen to the growing demands of the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for the best important use in the, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established for use in a variety of vehicle applications like decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is among those fields that offer the greatest growth possibility of PMMA.
Related key options that come with acrylic plastic that make it well suited for the operation of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Light weight
To generate a comparison on the erogenous level, PMMA is half the weight and more transparent than glass, thereby providing crystal clear visibility even just in the truth of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Due to its molecular structure, thermoformed pmma plastic have become used almost just for car window glazing where all the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which are safe, easy to process and perform in all of the weathers are met.
On top of Scratch Resistance
Another essential dependence on glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has got the highest surface hardness of thermoplastics even though uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you can find stringent conditions to get fulfilled to fulfill the ideal condition of scratch resistance. The usage of a coating thus remains mandatory. Considering that PMMA is intrinsically UV in addition to weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is successful. In contrast, thermoplastics which may have low effectiveness against weathering require a two-step coating system. This results in relatively high costs 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. With all the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is viewed as the right fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic as well as its extremely 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 this works as a major benefit over other thermoplastics like polycarbonate, that was primarily used for glazing in the past. Weighed against traditional materials like polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, provides a distinct potential for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The brand new goal from the automotive market is to produce clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Given the awareness and also the dependence on eco-friendly initiatives in the current scheme of things, PMMA works as a perfect replacement for 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 satisfy the latest challenges from the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for auto makers that want to sit in recent environmental requirements and so are thinking about alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It does not take perfect partner on this movement as it helps make cars lighter.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to work with you in understanding its properties and the way it most suitable to automotive glazing.
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