1.

Acrylic

Acrylic is the methyl methacrylate polymer, PMMA.

It is an exceptionally transparent rigid thermoplastic. In its natural state it is colorless but it can be
pigmented to obtain an infinity of colors. It can also be left without pigment to produce a completely
transparent sheet. Material is produced in a range of light transmission and diffusion parameters,
optimal for different uses.

It is inert to many corrosive substances. Its weather resistance makes it the ideal material for a variety
of outdoor applications. PMMA is normally produced with an ultraviolet light absorbing agent to protect
both the pigmentation of the PMMA itself and objects that could receive light through it. The acrylic
sheet can be worked to give it a great variety of shapes using different industrial, handmade and
artistic processes.

It was developed in 1928 in several laboratories and introduced to the market in 1933 by Rohm and
Haas. The chemical formula of MMA, the methyl methacrylate monomer, is C₅O₂H₈ and that of PMMA
is (C₅O₂H₈) n, the "n" indicating the number of MMA molecules that are part of the linear PMMA chain.

2. Acrylic Applications

Signs and advertisements: Light panels, three-dimensional letters, signage, etc.

Point of sale advertising: Exhibitors, tasters, information panels, light boxes, etc.

Interior design: Accessories for shops, special furniture, projection screens, glazing, etc.

Architectural accessories: street furniture, safety accessories, acoustic panels, skylights, etc.

Sanitary: Bath tubs, shower trays, etc.

Transport: Deflectors, sun protection visors, vehicle plates, hatches and windows for boats, etc.

Industry: Safety guards for machinery, quadrants, high precision parts, etc.

Medicine: Cribs, incubators, etc.

3. Density and Impact Resistance of Acrylic

The density of the PMMA is of the order of 1190 kg / m3, that is to say 1.19 gr / cm3. This is slightly
less than half the density of the glass, which falls within the range of 2400 to 2800 kg / m3.

The impact resistance of standard acrylic is of the order of 15 times greater than that of non-tempered
glass. In addition, high impact acrylic is produced; in Mexico, Plastiglas de México S.A. de C.V
manufactures an acrylic copolymer with the trade name "Impacta", whose impact resistance is about
20 times greater than that of normal acrylic. Acrylic "Impacta" has found good reception in the market
for many applications, including the manufacture of domes.

Acrylic is softer than glass. However, an abrasion resistant layer can be applied in the manufacturing
process. Surface scrapes that the material suffers can be eliminated by means of polishing.
4. Varieties and Production Processes

There are two main processes of acrylic sheet production that result in different product
characteristics:

 Extrusion - Extruded Sheet

 Mass Polymerization - Cast Sheet

Both types of sheet are presented in a wide range of measures, thicknesses, colors and finishes.
Some of the special varieties of foil: thick, extra thick, high impact, mirror, decorated.

Extrusion

Through this process, which resembles the production processes of the vast majority of
thermoplastics, PMMA grain is first obtained, which is subsequently extruded by the application of
heat to form sheet, tube, rod etc., or , is injected to obtain final forms such as glasses, automotive
skulls etc.

5. Mass Polymerization

This was the first process that was developed to produce acrylic. This means that the monomer is
catalyzed to carry out the polymerization process inside the mold that will give its final shape to the
product.

In the case of sheet production this process is carried out between two tempered glass plates with a
surrounding PVC seal to close the cell. The process is complicated by the fact that the polymerization
reaction is exothermic but requires heat to start, on the one hand, and that the mass of the material
undergoes an increase in density on the other. The specific weight of the MMA is of the order of 1.0
and that of the PMMA is of the order of 1.19.

Cast acrylic; "cast cast". This product is also known as "empty sheet" since the pre-polymer in liquid
form "empties" between the plates that form the mold. A more commonly used term in Spanish for
the process is "mass polymerization."

6. Relative Characteristics of Cast Sheet and Extruded Material

The material produced by one or another of the main manufacturing processes is not indistinct. On
the one hand the physical properties of the material are different. On the other hand the cost of the
material already produced is different; "Cast" material is more expensive than extruded material, due
to the much higher cost of production.

In order for the material to be extruded or injected, it is necessary to control the molecular weight of
the PMMA, that is, the length of the polymer chains. This is done using mercaptans in the PMMA
production process. The effect is that the average molecular weight of PMMA Cast is much higher
than that of the extruded sheet. This translates into different physical properties for one material and
another.

For example, Cast material can be molded with relative ease; Extruded material is much harder to
mold. The difference between one and the other is noticed at the time of the cut.