Is Acrylic Better Than Plastic?

Acrylic sheets belong to a polymerized polymer material which is a thermoplastic, also known as plexiglass, abbreviated as PMMA, mainly formed by the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Acrylic has a similar transparency to glass and differs from ordinary plastic. However, it is easy to process like plastic, with the strong ability of wear resistance and corrosion resistance, and the acrylic surface has a good inkjet printing effect. Acrylic has become an important material in many industries, such as display stands, light boxes, billboards, optical lenses, instrument parts, home design, and so on.

 

The chemical composition determines the difference between acrylic and ordinary plastic

Acrylic has high definition, wear resistance, drop resistance, and other high-quality properties, and plastic has something in common. Acrylic is a thermoplastic material, a special plastic, which is composed of methyl methylenate monomer. Plastic is a polymer compound made of monomer as raw material, which is generally polymerized by addition polymerization or polycondensation reaction. It is generally composed of synthetic resins, plasticizers, stabilizers, lubricants, fillers, colors, and other additives alias plastic or resin.

The main component of plastic is resin. The word resin was originally named after the lipids secreted by animals and plants, such as rosin, shellac, etc., resin accounts for about 40% to 100% of the total weight of plastics. The basic properties of plastics are mainly determined by the nature of the resin, but additives also play an important role. Plastic can be freely changed in composition and shape style, a wide variety. Therefore, the chemical composition determines that the two have a great difference.

We can generally compare these eight aspects, including raw material packaging, transparency, color saturation, gloss and smoothness, strength, weather resistance, feel, and weight.

Packaging of raw materials

In the sales market, we can see that under normal conditions, if it is an acrylic sheet that has not been applied, both sides are covered with paper film or PE film, to avoid the phenomenon of scratching in the process of acrylic plate transportation, but the usual plastic board is not packaged like that, because most of the plastic is not needed.

Transparency

The transparency of acrylic sheets is extremely high, even more transparent than glass, which plastic can only look at the ocean. Acrylic has crystal-like transparency, which is up to over 93% of the light transmittance, the light transmittance of ordinary glass is only about 85%, achieving the transparency of optical glass. The color of the transparent plate is very positive, and the transparency of the Juxin acrylic sheet is higher than that of others, and the acrylic display box is transparent and more high-end. There is good transparency after dyeing, which increases the display and aesthetic effect of acrylic.

The  color saturation of the color

Because of the high transparency of the acrylic plate, the bright color of the acrylic plate, is eye-catching and beautiful, and the color saturation of the general plastic color is relatively low, the color is darker. Compared with common plastic, the color of the acrylic is more bright and delicate. Juxin Plastics has a wide range of color powders that can be modulated into hundreds of colored acrylic sheets to visually meet the bright color saturation required by users.

Gloss and smoothness

JUXIN Acrylic products in the sun will have a shiny gloss, crystal clear. This peculiarity from Juxin transparent acrylic can be seen in the spot, mirror acrylic sheet is a perfect interpretation of its shiny characteristics. However, the gloss of plastic products is weak, has poor smoothness, rough, and it is not easy to shine under the sun.

Strength of raw material

The strength of acrylic sheets is relatively high, and it is not easy to produce large bending. However, the strength of plastic is a little lower than the strength of acrylic sheets. Therefore, it can be greatly bent, and thinner raw materials can be expanded. If you compare the raw materials, you will find that the strength of acrylic is slightly higher, and it is not easy to deform and bend. However, the strength of plastic is relatively weak, and it will bend sharply if it is slightly broken. The wear resistance of acrylic is close to that of aluminum, and the quality is stronger.

Weather fastness

Acrylic sheets are UV resistant. Compared with the disadvantages of ordinary plastic, which is easy to be brittle and cracks and fades, acrylic can be durable, and the service life of a good quality acrylic sheet is as long as 8-10 years, which is suitable for outdoor use.

Hand feeling

Compared with the flexible plastic, the acrylic material is hard. So we can try to feel it, if it is hard, the possibility of acrylic material is relatively large. Acrylic products do not feel cold, but mild and warm feeling, while plastic products do not have this phenomenon.

Weight

Juxin acrylic sheet thickness is uniform, and the thickness tolerance is less than the international plus or minus 0.2mm, we can achieve a tolerance of only plus or minus 0.1mm. Therefore, our acrylic boards are thick and heavy.

If it has the same thickness, the size as the acrylic products and plastic products, put it on the scale or hand weigh it. Due to the density of acrylic material being higher than plastic, the light is plastic products, and the heavy is acrylic products.

Table Comparison of acrylic and ordinary plastic

Performance	Acrylic products	Ordinary plastic
Packaging of raw materials	Packed with paper or PE film	No packing
Transparency	93%	80-88%, turbidity
The color saturation of the color	Bright and beautiful	Darker
Gloss and smoothness	Have a shiny gloss in the sun	Not shiny in the sun
Strength of  raw material	Not easy to produce large-bending	thinner raw materials can be expanded
Weather fastness	8-10 years do not fade	Fade in half a year
Hand feeling	Soft	Hard
Weight	Light	Heavy

Summary

Acrylic sheets belong to a kind of plastic, but it has good light transmission, chemical stability, easy production and processing, beautiful appearance, and other characteristics, widely used in all walks of life. Acrylic has excellent aging resistance, relatively high surface strength, and surface gloss, acidic and alkaline substances have high resistance and better continuous high-temperature performance, it is very suitable for outdoor applications.

Nowadays, the use of acrylic is more and more, increasing every year, and its market potential is foreseeable. Its various comprehensive characteristics make it the preferred material for many industry applications.

If you want to know more details about Acrylic Sheets， welcome to contact us any time！