Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the the most suitable material to use in the automotive industry. However, these days, 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 within a, namely, automotive glazing.

Long established to use in a number of vehicle applications like decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one kind of those fields offering the greatest growth risk of PMMA.
Related key top features of acrylic plastic that make it well suited for the operation of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Transportable
To produce a comparison over a standard level, PMMA is half the load plus much more transparent than glass, thereby providing crystal clear visibility even during the truth of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Owing to its molecular structure, thermoformed acrylic sheet are now used almost just for car window glazing where all of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which might be safe, an easy task to process and perform in all weathers are met.
On top of Scratch Resistance
Another significant requirement of glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already has the highest surface hardness of most thermoplastics even though uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you will find stringent conditions being fulfilled in order to meet the optimal condition of scratch resistance. The usage of a coating thus remains mandatory. Considering that PMMA is intrinsically UV as well as weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is successful. In comparison, thermoplastics which may have low resistance to weathering have to have a two-step coating system. This brings about relatively expense for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is Forty to fifty percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques a person’s eye of automobile manufacturers. Together with the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA has become viewed as the proper fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic in addition to its quite high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less stress birefringence
PMMA exhibits almost no stress birefringence and this works as a major benefit over other thermoplastics like polycarbonate, that was primarily used for glazing before. Weighed against traditional materials like polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, comes with a distinct chance for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The modern goal in the automotive marketplace is to formulate clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Given the awareness along with the dependence on eco-friendly initiatives in today’s general scheme of things, PMMA works as a perfect substitute 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 auto makers that are looking for to sit in recent environmental requirements and therefore are thinking of alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It does not take perfect partner within this movement because it tends to make cars lighter.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to help you understand its properties and how it suitable to automotive glazing.
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