Tag: polymethyl methacrylate

Polymers have for too long been a fundamental piece of our everyday lives a case in point that examples are available almost ubiquitously. We have an impact leading us to trust that polymers are simply plastics useful for packaging, in household objects and for making fibres, however, this is just the tip with the iceberg.

Polymers are widely-used in all sorts of applications you do not have thought much about. This blog enlightens you concerning the story behind polymers and the way it’s got evolved since that time for everyone several functions across a host of industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have advantage of the flexibility of polymers for hundreds of years as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been until the industrial revolution that the polymer industry developed. The truth is, the birth of polymer science might be traced to the mid-nineteenth century. From the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization method that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber right into a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created resin from two quite typical chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between both of these chemicals led the way for the development of a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It had been this resin that served as a harbinger to many people with the common polymers that individuals use today. The phrase “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which put together means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are composed of several chemical units called monomers, that happen to be gathered into large molecular chains composed of thousands of atoms.
Classification of polymers
On such basis as their origin, polymethyl methacrylate could be viewed as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are those polymers that exist in nature knowning that that happen to be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are some instances of natural polymers. Though they’re processed to obtain the end product, considering that the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are termed as natural polymers. Natural rubber received from tree latex is actually a polymer made out of isoprene units with a portion of impurities in it.
In this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There exists huge variety of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They are naturally manufactured by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes opportinity for enormous prospect of the biotechnological production of biopolymers with tailored properties well suited for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as their name indicates, are synthesized within the laboratory or factory via a series of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From the functional viewpoint they could be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is but one such thermoplastic manufactured by the polymerization with the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often generally known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties to a variety of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic can be used extensively within the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer items that use a constituent component of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, among others.
Many of the other synthetic polymers that individuals used in our everyday life include Nylons, used in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, used in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, used in pipes.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to work with you to understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To understand more, find us here.
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Polycarbonate had earned the tag since the most suitable material for use within the automotive industry. However, recently, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen for the growing demands in the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for the most important use within a, namely, automotive glazing.

Long established for use in a number of vehicle applications including decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is among those fields that provide the highest growth prospect of PMMA.
Related key popular features of acrylic plastic which make it well suited for the whole process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To produce a comparison over a standard level, PMMA is half the load and more transparent than glass, thereby providing superior visibility even just in the situation of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. Because of its molecular structure, thermoformed acrylic glass are now used almost only for car window glazing where each of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials that are safe, very easy to process and perform in all of the weathers are met.
At the top of Scratch Resistance
Another essential desire for glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness of all thermoplastics regardless if uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you’ll find stringent conditions to be fulfilled to meet the optimal state of scratch resistance. The use of a coating thus remains mandatory. Since PMMA is intrinsically UV and also weathering-resistant, a single-step coating is effective. In comparison, thermoplastics who have low capacity weathering have to have a two-step coating system. This ends in relatively expense for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is Forty to fifty percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques a persons vision of automobile manufacturers. Together with the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA has become seen as the right fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic along with its high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less anxiety birefringence
PMMA exhibits very little stress birefringence this also serves as a major benefit over other thermoplastics including polycarbonate, which was primarily employed for glazing during the past. In comparison with traditional materials including polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, supplies a distinct chance for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The newest goal within the automotive industry is to develop clean low fuel consumption vehicles. Because of the awareness and also the need for eco-friendly initiatives with the current economic general scheme of things, PMMA serves as a perfect option to glass within the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, also is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that meet the latest challenges within the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for car makers that are looking for to sit in recent environmental requirements and are contemplating alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It is the perfect partner on this movement as it makes cars lighter.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to work with you in understanding its properties and exactly how it suitable to automotive glazing.
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Just how do a liquid containing just 5 carbon atoms, 2 oxygen atoms and eight hydrogen atoms be used for durable purposes where thermal resistance, electrical resistance and mechanical strength is of prime importance? A better solution is based on one word – “Polymerisation”.
Through this infographic, we trace your way of MMA (Methyl Methacrylate), a liquid monomer that’s polymerised to bring about PMMA polymer (Polymethyl Methacrylate), and it is various grades.

MMA could be polymerised to PMMA through solution polymerisation, emulsion polymerisation and bulk polymerisation techniques. Every one of these reactions happen in the presence of a catalyst. The resulting methyl methacrylate resin could be modified to various shapes, sizes and forms depending on the additives.
Various grades of SUMIPEX®, the Polymethyl methacrylate resin produced by Sumitomo Chemical, which can be obtained on adding additives are:
• ‘High Impact Grade of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – Properties like high flow and good heat resistance get this to ideal for manufacturing extruded sheets/ pipes/ rods, construction materials, automotive parts and industrial applications
• ‘Extrusion Grade of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – Good extrusion molding characteristics, high surface hardness, superb weatherability and ideal chemical resistance will be the properties of this grade that favour its used in extruded sheets/ pipes/ rods.
• ‘Heat Resistant Grades of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – Excellent heat resistance, excellent surface hardness and mechanical strength enables the usage of this grade in automotive parts like tail lamp, instrument cluster, optical Lens, general light fittings, etc.
• ‘Optical Grades of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – With excellent heat resistance and flow properties, the optical grades with extremely low levels of foreign contaminants can be used light Guide panels and optical lenses.
• ‘High Flow Grade of SUMIPEX® PMMA’- With characteristics like high-flow during injection molding and good moldability, this grade is mandatory for intricate parts and thin-wall parts molding like watch and clock cover, lighting cover, name plate, house ware, etc.
• ‘General Purpose Grades of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – General Purpose Grades determine among normal and optical grades/special grades. General Purpose Grades like MH, LG, LG2, etc. also come under “Extrusion Grade”, “Heat Resistance Grade” and “High Flow Grade”. With balanced properties like heat resistance and mechanical strength, this grade is suitable in making number of products like house ware, stationery, telephone buttons, piano keys, electrical accessories, ornaments, etc.
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