Plexiglass - The Clear Choice

Plexiglass refers to a type of transparent thermoplastic. Chemically, plexiglass or Poly(methyl methacrylate) is a polymer of methyl methacrylate. It is also known as acrylic or PMMA. The material was first developed in the 1920’s and was released in the market in the 1930’s. It is usually used as a substitute to glass. It is generally given preference, due to its moderate properties, easy processing and handling, as well as low cost. However, it behaves in a brittle fashion when loaded, particularly under an impact force. For producing one kg of plexiglass around two kg of petroleum is required. It ignites at around 460 °C and burns, producing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water as well as low molecular weight compounds, such as formaldehyde.

The material is generally used for construction of residential as well as commercial aquariums. The magnificent size of flat panels as well as tunnels in aquariums like Monterey Bay, Osaka, Dubai Aquariums, Nagoya and Tokyo Sea Life Park, were made possible only through plexiglass sheets. It is commonly used for automobile headlight lens It is also used in ice hockey rinks as protectionfor spectators, as well as Motorcycle helmet visors. Apart from that, it is also used in police vehicles that are used for riot control, as well as viewing ports and complete hulls of submersibles, like the viewing spheres of Alicia submarine and Bathyscaphe Trieste's windows. In addition to this, it is also widely used for making aircraft transparencies as well as certain lighthouse lenses.

Plexiglass has many features. Its material quality is very good and it is long lasting. Plexiglass has excellent light transmittance power. It has a high mechanical strength. It has qualities like light-weight, good resistance to weather and corrosion, good insulation characteristics and is easy to be processed. It is also non-toxic and chemical resistant in nature. These sheets can be used for the certain strength requirements of the transparent structures. This plexiglass can also be used in making appliances, furnishings, instrument parts, optical lenses and decorative items etc. Now this material is widely used in advertising light box, sign boards and handicrafts etc.

Plexiglass has the wide range of applications. Presently the plexiglass sheets are used in many industries like advertisement industry, furniture industry, handicraft industry and toys industry etc. In the advertising and merchandising industries it is used signs, sign board, logos, counter displays and pop displays. In furniture industry it is used in making the office furniture, cabinet and bath cabinet etc. It has also a wide range of applications in the finishing materials industry. It is used in making decorative sheets, storage racks and room segments etc..

Apart from the abovementioned, plexiglass sheets have several other advantages and that explains its popularity in the modern times.

Plexiglass - Strength, Clarity and Safety

Plexiglass is also known as acrylic. The use of glass is becoming less and less because of its breakable quality and difficulty in handling, that’s why most  people avoid using glass and go for plexiglass sheets instead.

These plexiglass sheets provide a durable, high impact resistant shield where they are used. Acrylic has other uses also such as they can be washed easily, if broken it don’t harm anyone. Plexiglass sheets come in extruded, cast, cell cast, clear, colored, textured, tinted and mirrored.

Plexiglass sheet is a material with unique physical properties and performance characteristics. It weighs half as much as the finest optical glass yet is equal to it in clarity and is much more impact resistant. Acrylic sheet is made in over 250 colors and it can be molded in any texture and shape and size. These sheets are light in weight and can be transferred to any place easily, and are easily transportable.

It is quite simple to understand  why people are giving plexiglass a preference over glass for these days. There are many other qualities in these plexiglass sheets such as the variety of colors, shades, shapes, various products such as rods, jars, bullet proof sheets etc, can be made from these sheets and the cost is much cheaper than glass.

Plexiglass sheets are not affected by moisture, and remain transparent under adverse conditions. These can be used as window pans, frames for paintings etc. and can be easily heat formed without the loss of optical clarity.

So if someone is going to buy these plexiglass sheets, it is highly recommended to go through websites related to this subject, these websites can improve the buyers knowledge and also can help the buyer to make an informed decision after a thorough comparison of rates and quality of these sheets among the sellers and can help in getting the best deal available.

Applications For Plexiglass Sheets

A Plexiglass sheet is not really a glass instead it is a type of clear plastic acrylic. Many people use this plastic acrylic because it is much more resistant than a glass and it also does not break like ordinary glass does. It is much more resistant to heat and cold. The only problem in it is that plexiglass sheets can chip, melt, smear and scratch easily. As a matter of fact, it is very prone to chipping if it is not cut properly.There are some different saw blades that can be opted to cut plexiglass sheets. The incredible thing about using plexiglass sheeting is that it is easy to handle. Its flexibility is very good and also its strength. You might not need a glass cutter in order to cut a plexiglass sheets into pieces.

Because of its synthetic composition, it is helpful in avoiding unwanted cracks which occurs due to mishandling. Some other advantage of using plexiglass sheeting is the fact that it allows more advanced designs. This lightweight polymer helps us in building windows or any other transparent structures in shapes that can not be achieved with the glass. Plexiglass sheeting is very strong and it is much more resistant to impact than a glass. As a fact, it is also used in some anti-riot police shields. In basketball stadiums, plexiglass sheets are being fitted into the backboards of a basketball hoop in order for those in the crowd who are directly facing the hoops to be able to view the basketball game unobstructed. Plexiglass backboards do not shatter like earlier glass ones, thus the toughness of these sheets has been proved beyond doubt.

With its greater flexibility and resistance to impact, no wonder plexiglass sheets has redefined the architectural designs in today’s innovative world, while also being used for a variety of other purposes. Adding glass in different architectural designs is a hard job. Since glass is brittle, the need to customize the design of glasses in order to fit which is best suited. There is also the danger of breaking the glass which can be damaged by a little mistake done by a worker. Cutting glass takes a lot of time, so glass may not be the best bet for an intricate and complicated design. Plexiglass sheeting is much easier to cut and easy to maneuver into position.

Plexiglass: Acrylic Sheet

Often faked by the film coated acrylic sheets? You need a proper acrylic sheet. As you know that an acrylic plastic used to protect control panels and occasionally as a protective barrier in front of a monitor, available in both clear and smoked varieties is plexiglass. It is also name of popular brand which has maintained its quality and have earned a coveted status in the segment for itself.

If you are really interested in getting a right kind of quality acrylic sheet then you should opt for the plexiglass sheets without giving it a second thought. You can choose from the wide variety of the stocks of Plexiglass like clear acrylic sheet panels, acrylic glass sheets, shapes, tinted, colored, non glare, plastic mirror and textures.

There are many major brands of plexiglass acrylic sheet: Plexiglas, Perspex, Optix, Acrylite, and Lucite as well as a variety of specialty colors and textures such as Frost Plexiglass and Clear Plexiglass Mirror as well as colors of Plexiglass Mirror. You can also avail quantity discounts on plexiglass sheets.

The plexiglass sheet has been considered an industry standard since it was first introduced. The name become synonymous with the quality because its brand offers unsurpassed quality, ease of use and wide range of colors, patterns, thickness and sizes.
You can wash the acrylic sheets with a mild soap or detergent or light warm water solution. Use a clean soft cloth or sponge with solution to clean the acrylic sheet. However, you should avoid using window cleaning fluids, gritty cloths, solvents, alcohol or acetone as it can cause damage to the acrylic sheet. You can use a thin coat of polish for the protection of the acrylic sheet. You can clean the acrylic sheet with a damp soft cloth.

Plexiglass Sheets For Displays

Plexiglass sheets are available in a wide variety of colors, textures, sizes and thickness. Some of the more interesting colors of plexiglass sheets are the fluorescents, orange, green, blue and yellow. These are used primarily in displays. These brightly colored, eye catching plexiglass displays are used in stores or other retail environments to attract the consumers attention to a product or promotion. The common name for these types of plexiglass displays are POP displays or point of purchase displays.

Using Plexiglass Sheets

Plexiglass sheets, also know as acrylic sheets are an economical lightweight alternative to glass. Plexiglass is stronger than glass and nearly half the weight. Plexiglass is extremely durable and has superior impact strength making it an ideal choice for many applications.
Some of the common uses for plexiglass sheets include aquariums, skylights, windows and display cases. Plexiglass provides better insulation than glass. Plexiglass is a top choice for picture framers for many reasons as well. It is easy to cut and shape, does not shatter like glass, comes in many colors and tints and is available with a wide variety of coatings such as UV inhibitors.
Plexiglass is known by a variety of brand names including Lucite, Perspex, Plexiglas, Optix, Acrylite and Chemcast. The two major types of Plexiglass are cast and extruded. Which type is right for you depends on your application.

Fluorescent Plexiglass Sheets

Fluorescent plexiglass sheets

Plexiglass Rods

Colored plexiglass rods.

How To Make a Plexiglass Box