What Are The Benefits of Acrylic?

Acrylic is a highly efficient and useful alternative to glass. Not only is it shatter proof and sturdy, but also weighs lesser than glass and is 100 percent transparent.

Acrylic, a commonly preferred alternative of glass, is a synthetic polymer obtained from polymethyl methacrylate. It was popularly used during the Second World War in canopies, gun turrets and periscopes mainly due to its shatter resistant property. Even today, it is considered ideal for making a variety of items such as forklift guards, viewing ports in submarines, giant aquarium tanks, helmet visors, display cases, plinths and signages.

Some benefits of using acrylic plastic are as follows:

On attaining the temperature of 100°C, acrylic becomes flexible enough to be moulded into a wide range of shapes like tubes, figurines, picture frames and bottles. It can also be formed into large sheets that are ideal for skylights and bowfront aquariums. The material can also be drilled, sawed or machined without much difficulty. Perspex fabrication in Sydney is quite common for making plinths, display cases and signages.

The sturdiness of acrylic makes it perfect to be used in the windows of homes and also as lenses in headlights of vehicles. Letters written with acrylic paints on outdoor signs do not fade easily, resist weathering and tend to hold the colour. Since acrylic can refract light, it is used by artists and sculptors for making outdoor designs and also as indoor wall signs and hangings.

Being 50 percent lighter than glass, the polymer is also quite easy to handle and therefore, used for making shoes, artificial nails, dentures and dental fillings. Microspheres of polymethyl methacrylate in fluid state are even injected directly under aged skin for reducing wrinkles and scars. Skylights made from this polymer also make it easier to reduce the load on the frame or foundation of a house.

Since acrylic is completely transparent, it is highly preferred for making see through structures such as greenhouses, skylights, windows on the facade of stores and plane windows. Surveillance mirrors also make use of it due to its durability. Besides that, the material is also UV resistant and different variants of it having thick layers are used for signs, exterior windows and motorcycle shields.