Acrylic (Perspex)
Acrylic, also commonly known as Perspex, is a versatile thermoplastic known for its strength and weather resistance. It is a popular alternative to glass due to its superior impact resistance nature.
Acrylic is available in clear, opals, tints, colours, frosts and museum grade.
Key properties of Acrylic (Perspex)
- Optical clarity – acrylic offers excellent light transmission, allowing up to 92% of visible light to pass through, making it ideal for applications requiring transparency such as windows and displays.
- Impact resistance – it is significantly more impact resistant than glass, being up to 17 times stronger.
- Weather resistance – acrylic is resistant to UV radiation and weathering, making it suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications.
- Lightweight – acrylic is about half the weight of glass, making it easier to handle and transport.
- Temperature resistance – acrylic can withstand a wide range of temperatures and is resistant to warping or cracking from temperature fluctuations.
- Ease of fabrication – acrylic can be easily cut, machined, lasered, drilled and shaped with heat, allowing for complex designs and custom fabrications
- Surface finish – acrylic has a high-gloss surface and can be polished on its edges to enhance its appearance.
Common applications
- Displays and signage – the high light transmission and ease of fabrication make it an ideal material for creating attractive and durable displays and signage.
- Vehicle number plates – due to the high strength of acrylic, this is the ideal material for vehicle number plates.
- Windows and skylights – Acrylic’s clarity, strength and weather resistance makes it a great choice for windows and skylights, offering both aesthetically pleasing results and energy efficiency.
- Museum showcases – Acrylic’s clarity along with its strength and UV protection makes it the best choice for museum showcases, also available is the museum grade acrylic with its UV light absorbing qualities.