Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the the most suitable material to be used in the automotive industry. However, in recent times, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen to the growing demands in the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate which are more important use in a, namely, automotive glazing.
Long established to be used in many different vehicle applications for example decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one kind of those fields offering the best growth risk of PMMA.
Related key options that come with acrylic plastic which make it ideal for the entire process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Light weight
To produce a comparison on a simple level, PMMA is half the load plus more transparent than glass, thereby providing really clear visibility even just in the truth of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Owing to its molecular structure, thermoformed acrylic glass are used almost just for car window glazing where every one of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which can be safe, an easy task to process and perform in every weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another significant dependence on glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness of most thermoplastics even if uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you will find stringent conditions being fulfilled to fulfill the ideal state of scratch resistance. The use of a coating is thus mandatory. Given that PMMA is intrinsically UV along with weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is successful. In contrast, thermoplastics which may have low resistance to weathering need a two-step coating system. This brings about relatively expense for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is 40 to 50 percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques a persons vision of automobile manufacturers. Using the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is currently considered the best fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic along with its quite high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less stress birefringence
PMMA exhibits little or no stress birefringence which operates as a major benefit over other thermoplastics for example polycarbonate, which was primarily used by glazing before. In comparison with traditional materials for example polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, comes with a distinct potential for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The brand new goal in the automotive companies are to develop clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Because of the awareness along with the requirement for eco-friendly initiatives in the current scheme of things, PMMA operates as a perfect replacement for glass in 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 in the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for car makers that want to adjust to recent environmental requirements and they are considering alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. Oahu is the perfect partner within this movement because it makes cars lighter.
As a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is happy to help you out in understanding its properties and the way it most suitable to automotive glazing.
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