Why Choose Polymethyl Methacrylate Plastic?

1. What is PMMA?

2. Polymethyl methacrylate properties and mechanical specifications

PMMA has a refractive index of 1.49 and can allow up to 92% of light to pass through, which is more than many other thermoplastics and even some grades of glass. PMMA is also lightweight - typical density for the material is 1.17-1.20 g/cm3, or half that of glass - and much more resistant to impact and shatter than glass. PMMA can be thermoformed without losing any of the material's optical clarity. At the same time, PMMA can also be colored or dyed to match any shade, extending its versatility to applications beyond glass replacement.

For instance, PMMA also provides good resistance to UV light and environmental wear, which can be further improved with stabilizers and additives. Not only that, PMMA is tough and durable, offering better scratch resistance than PC and other transparent polymers, and demonstrates low moisture absorption, allowing it to be used in the creation of parts where dimensional stability is critical. PMMA is therefore ideal for outdoor applications where the part or apparatus is intended to withstand exposure to the elements.

Despite being created from methyl methacrylate, which is a known irritant and suspected carcinogen, PMMA is extremely biocompatible, leading to the material finding use in various medical applications, including contact lenses, dentures, bone replacements, and even cosmetic surgery, where it is used to help reduce wrinkles or scars. In fact, PMMA is sometimes known as "bone cement" in medical circles because of how frequently it is used to cushion implants against the skeleton. PMMA is also simple to polymerize within a hospital environment, making it especially useful in medical manufacturing.

While PMMA can be food-grade, it is not safe to use in microwaves or dishwashers, as the material is only dimensionally stable to temperatures of 149°F (65°C). Typically, glass is recommended over PMMA for applications involving food.

3. Application of PMMA

Architecture and Construction
Thanks to its excellent impact and UV resistance, PMMA is widely used in window and door profiles, canopies, panels, façade design, etc. It also facilitates light transmission and provides good heat insulation, hence a suitable choice of building green houses. PMMA is also used to build aquariums and marine centers. 
Lighting
PMMA sheets are used for designing LED lights where it helps maximize light emitting potential. It is also used for construction of lamps thanks to its transparency and optical properties.
Automotive and Transportation
In vehicles, PMMA sheets are used in car windows, motorcycle windshields, interior and exterior panels, fenders, etc. Also colored acrylic sheets are used in car indicator light covers, interior light covers, etc. It is also used for windows of a ship (Salt resistance) and aviation purposes.
Electronics
Due to its excellent optical clarity, high light transmission and scratch resistance, PMMA is widely used in LCD/LED tv screens, laptops, smartphones display as well as electronic equipment displays. PMMA also finds used in solar panels as cover materials thanks to its excellent UV resistance and excellent light transmission allowing high energy conversion efficiencies.
Medical and Healthcare
PMMA is a high purity and easy-to-clean material and hence used to fabricate incubators, drug testing devices, storage cabinets in hospitals and research labs. Also, due to its high bio-compatibility, PMMA is also applied as dental cavity fillings and bone cement.
Furniture
PMMA offers exception properties such as transparency, toughness and aesthetics to produce chairs, tables, kitchen cabinets, bowls, table mats, etc. in any shape, color or finishes. 

4. Why choose polymethyl methacrylate plastic?

As mentioned, PMMA is similar to pc and other translucent plastics, but this material stands out from the pack in a few key ways.

One of the most noteworthy advantages of PMMA is its scratch resistance. It is well suited to optical lenses and devices, as the material is less likely to splinter, shatter, or cause harm to someone's skin or eyes if the lens or device happens to break. Parts made from PC, in contrast, are much more prone to scratching and denting the longer they are used.

PMMA is more brittle than PC, meaning that it remains stiff and cracks when stressed or impacted. While PMMA does provide some shatter resistance, PC is able to provide much greater impact strength, and in some applications, these two qualities can be used in tandem. Display windows, for instance, may be crafted from an outer layer of scratch- and shatter-resistant PMMA and an inner layer of a wind-resistant and highly impact-resistant material like PC.

PMMA also offers a cost-effective alternative to PC when a given application would benefit from greater tensile and flexural strength, light transmissibility, surface polishability, and UV resistance. PC, on the other hand, is a more expensive material to manufacture with and is better suited for applications that require high impact strength and chemical and heat resistance.

5. About us

Luoyang Dema Import & Export Co., Ltd. aims to provide high-quality, cost-effective products for global factories, plastic product manufacturers, and material distributors. Luoyang Dema Import & Export Co., Ltd. provides THEbest PP, PE, PVC, AVE, ABS material solutions for plastic product manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, distributors, factory owners, processing workshops, etc.

If you are looking for general plastic materials, please feel free to get the latest prices and quotations from Luoyang Dema Import & Export Co., Ltd. The sales team will reply within 48 hours.