Polycarbonate had earned the tag since the the most appropriate material for use inside the automotive industry. However, these days, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen for the growing demands with the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for important used in a, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established for use in many different vehicle applications like decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one of those fields that provide the very best growth potential for PMMA.
Related key options that come with acrylic plastic that make it perfect for the operation of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To make a comparison on the simple level, PMMA is half the load plus much more transparent than glass, thereby providing superior visibility even just in true of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. As a result of its molecular structure, thermoformed polymer resin have become used almost mainly for car window glazing where all the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which are safe, an easy task to process and perform in all of the weathers are met.
High on Scratch Resistance
Another essential dependence on glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has the highest surface hardness of most thermoplastics even when uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you will find stringent conditions to be fulfilled to meet the best state of scratch resistance. The use of a coating is therefore mandatory. Considering that PMMA is intrinsically UV along with weathering-resistant, a single-step coating works well. In contrast, thermoplastics who have low capacity weathering require a two-step coating system. This leads to relatively expensive for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is 40 to 50 percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques the eye of automobile manufacturers. Together with the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is known as the correct fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic as well as its high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less stress birefringence
PMMA exhibits hardly any stress birefringence which functions as a major benefit over other thermoplastics like polycarbonate, which has been primarily employed for glazing previously. In contrast to traditional materials like polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, supplies a distinct chance of functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The new goal inside the automotive market is to produce clean low fuel consumption vehicles. In the awareness along with the requirement for eco-friendly initiatives with the current economic scheme of things, PMMA functions as a perfect alternative to glass inside 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 inside the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for auto makers looking to sit in recent environmental requirements and therefore are thinking about alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It’s the perfect partner in this movement given it tends to make cars lighter.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to help you out in understanding its properties and how it most suitable to automotive glazing.
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