Acrylic Plastic
Acrylic, also known as PMMA or organic glass, is derived from the English word acrylic (acrylic plastic). Its chemical name is polymethyl methacrylate. It is an important plastic polymer material that was developed earlier. It has good transparency, chemical stability and weather resistance. It is easy to dye, easy to process, and has a beautiful appearance. It is widely used in the construction industry. Organic glass products can usually be divided into cast plates, extruded plates and molded materials.
Acrylic Material Properties
Acrylic has a range of material properties that make it attractive for many applications. These properties include:
A. Transparency: Acrylic has a high degree of transparency, with a light transmittance of up to 92%, making it an ideal replacement for glass in many applications.
B. Durability: Acrylic is much more durable than glass and can withstand impact and weather damage.
C. Chemical Resistance: Acrylic is resistant to a wide range of chemicals, making it suitable for chemical and pharmaceutical applications.
D. Lightweight: Acrylic is lighter than glass, making it easier to handle and transport.
E. UV Resistance: Acrylic is resistant to UV radiation, making it suitable for outdoor applications.
Features
A. Hardness
Hardness is one of the parameters that best reflects the production process and technology of cast acrylic sheets, and is an important part of quality control. Hardness can reflect the purity of the raw material PMMA, the weather resistance of the sheet, and the high temperature resistance of the sheet. Hardness directly affects whether the sheet will shrink, bend, or deform, and whether cracks will appear on the surface during processing. Hardness is one of the hardness indicators for judging the quality of acrylic sheets.
B. Thickness (Acrylic Tolerance)
Acrylic sheet thickness has acrylic tolerance, so the control of acrylic tolerance is an important manifestation of quality management and production technology. The production of acrylic has an international standard ISO7823.
C. Transparency/whiteness
Strict raw material selection, advanced formula follow-up, and modern production process ensure the excellent transparency and pure whiteness of the sheet. Crystal clear after flame polishing.
Acrylic plastics have many uses in industry, mainly including the following aspects:
A Coatings and adhesives: Acrylic plastics are often used to prepare coatings and adhesives. For example, acrylate compounds can be used to prepare polymers through homopolymerization or copolymerization, which are used in coatings, adhesives, solid resins, molding compounds, etc. In addition, acrylic resins are also important in plastic water-based paints. They have excellent color retention and weather resistance and are suitable for packaging industry, textile printing and dyeing, leather processing and other fields.
B. Polymer materials: Acrylic acid can be used to prepare polymer water-absorbing resins, which are widely used in sanitary products and water-retaining agents. In oilfield water, boiler water and various industrial cooling water systems, acrylic resins are used as scale inhibitors and pre-filming agents to help improve water quality stability.
C. Other applications: Acrylic plastics are also used to manufacture molding compounds, electrical insulation materials, parts damping coatings, metal anti-rust and high-temperature protective coatings, etc. In addition, acrylate compounds are also used in rubber synthesis, water treatment agents, coated paper finishing agents, etc.
Specific methods of recycling
A. Mechanical recycling: Through crushing, cleaning and melting reprocessing, the original color and chemical structure of the material are maintained, which is suitable for large-scale production
B. Physical recycling: Through selective dissolution of waste, the scope of utilization is expanded, but all impurities cannot be completely removed.
C. Chemical recycling: Through technologies such as pyrolysis and solvent decomposition, the material is restored to its original molecular form, which has higher flexibility and sustainability
Future development trends
In the future, the recycling technology of PMMA will continue to develop, and chemical recycling methods have attracted much attention due to their high efficiency and sustainability. For example, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is studying floatable PMMA recycling technology, aiming to improve recycling efficiency and environmental protection. In addition, with the improvement of environmental awareness and technological progress, the recycling rate of PMMA is expected to increase further.
