Acrylic

Full Name

Poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA

Also known as

Has many trade names including Perspex & Plexiglas

Basic Properties

Prized for optical clarity & weather resistance. Scratches easily. Better impact resistance than glass but lower than Polycarbonate.

Common Uses

Acrylic, most commonly known as Perspex, is available in many colours, tints, textures, and sizes. It is an excellent transmitter of light, one of the best in cast sheet plastic.

Uses include point of sale displays, newspaper stands, confectionary stands, lenses, panel covers, kitchen utensils, kitchen splash guards, window replacement amongst many others.

Acrylic can be highly polished to obtain an absolutely pristine finish such as in display cases where appearance is everything. It is much more brittle than most other plastics and will shatter if stressed beyond its limits.

Can be difficult to work with without proper tooling as it chips easily and doesn’t drill well with standard bits. Like Polycarbonate, it can be welded, although for better visual impact joins can be glued with a solvent cement for a flawless finish.

Comes with a paper or plastic membrane protective layer on both sides that is normally removed after fabrication to prevent scuffs, fingerprints and the like.