Professional high precision metal part fabrication
In order to meet market demand, companies or scientific researchers will develop materials with different properties such as color, strength, and flexibility. Professional high precision metal part fabrication
There are more types of materials, and users have more choices, which is definitely a good thing, but for many ordinary people, sometimes they are confused and can’t figure out what the difference is between them and whether they are the same. Same material.
Many people have this question about the commonly used acrylic. It looks like glass from a distance and looks like plastic up close. And its name is acrylic. Is it glass or plastic?
What is acrylic
Acrylic is our most common name for this material. It is also called plexiglass. The English name is Polymethyl methacrylate. After English translation, it is called acrylic. The abbreviation is PMMA. Its full name is polymethyl methacrylate. Its raw material belongs to Acrylic chemicals.
Usually, in addition to using acrylic sheets, we can also hear names such as acrylic cotton, acrylic yarn, acrylic nylon, etc. Acrylic sheets are synthesized from acrylic particles and resin, while other acrylic textiles are made of fibers made of acrylic. They are not in the same category.
Many times we feel that acrylic is a new material, but in fact it has been invented for more than a hundred years. This chemical polymer was discovered as early as 1872 and was not synthesized in the laboratory until 1920. The first acrylic plate was produced. In 1927, the acrylic plate was finally completely manufactured in the factory. The initially manufactured acrylic was only used on airplanes. At the end of the last century, with the improvement and maturity of the production process, acrylic began to be used in many applications. Widely used in the industry. Professional high precision metal part fabrication
Nowadays, acrylic has become an important material in many industries, such as instrument parts, automobile lights, optical lenses, transparent pipes, handicrafts, etc.
Characteristics of acrylic
Acrylic has high transparency and clear vision. It can reach a light transmittance of more than 92%. The light transmittance of ordinary glass is only about 85%. It can reach the transparency of optical glass. It also has good transparency even after dyeing. , which increases the display and aesthetic effect of acrylic.
Thanks to its special material properties, the strength of acrylic is more than ten times that of ordinary glass. Compared with glass, it can be described as strong. Products made of acrylic will be very durable. Transparent products are most afraid of being scratched. Acrylic Due to its high strength, it is also one of the most wear-resistant transparent materials.
Acrylic begins to soften at 113°C and has a melting point of 160°C. This temperature makes it highly malleable, making it easy to shape into any shape.
Acrylic is highly resistant to changes in temperature and humidity, as well as acidic and alkaline substances, making it very suitable for outdoor applications. Professional high precision metal part fabrication
Although acrylic has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. First of all, it is more expensive than glass and it is difficult to completely replace glass. Secondly, because of its low ignition point, it will melt and eventually burn when directly exposed to flames, and the combustion will still be difficult. Toxic fumes are released, so high temperatures are generated when using power tools for cutting, and they can easily deform and bend.
What you think is glass is plastic
Acrylic is a polymerized polymer material, which is a thermoplastic. Yes, you read that right, it is a plastic.
Acrylic is polymerized from the monomer methyl methacrylate. So what is the difference between acrylic and other plastics? Why do we call it “glass” even though it’s plastic?
This is due to the many characteristics of acrylic that are similar to glass. Some of its advantages exceed those of glass, while others can perfectly make up for the shortcomings of glass. Professional high precision metal part fabrication
Transparent materials are one of the most commonly used materials in many industries, and designers and manufacturers often choose these transparent polymers as alternatives when traditional glass is too heavy or breaks too easily.
Acrylic just has these characteristics of glass or transparent materials, but it is not glass, so it is called plexiglass.
The production process of acrylic is similar to that of other plastics, except that it differs in the specific temperature and added catalysts. There are three main molding methods, casting molding, injection molding and extrusion molding.
Casting requires a mold. Molten acrylic is poured into the mold and allowed to sit for a few hours until it becomes semi-solid and can then be removed from the mold. Professional high precision metal part fabrication
After the sheet leaves the mold, it is transferred to a high-pressure furnace, a special machine that functions like a pressure cooker and an oven. The high-pressure furnace uses heat and pressure to squeeze bubbles out of the plastic, giving it a higher For clarity and sturdiness, acrylics usually take several hours in a high-pressure oven.
After taking out the formed acrylic from the high-pressure furnace, you need to sand the surface and edges several times, first with small-grain sandpaper and then with a soft cloth wheel to ensure that the acrylic surface is smooth and transparent.
Add the acrylic granule raw material to the extruder, and the machine will heat the raw material to about 150°C to turn it into a viscous state.
It is then fed between two roller presses, where the molten plastic is flattened by pressure into a uniform sheet, and then the sheet is cooled to solidify the acrylic sheet. Professional high precision metal part fabrication
The sheet is cut into the required size and can be used after grinding and polishing. Extrusion can only produce thinner sheets and cannot produce other shapes and thicker sheets.
Like the injection molding of other plastic products, acrylic particles are put into a plunger or screw injection molding machine, and the raw materials are melted into a paste through high temperature.
It is then injected into the mold cavity and formed. After drying through hot air circulation, it becomes a fixed shape. It can be used after grinding and polishing.
Today, the use of acrylic is increasing every year; although it is one of the oldest plastics in use today, its optical clarity and resistance to outdoor environments make it still a popular choice in many industries The material of choice for the application. Professional high precision metal part fabrication