Plexiglas

Plexiglas®

Description

[Plexiglas] A registered trademark for a transparent, thermoplastic Acrylic sheet. Plexiglas® is composed of Polymethyl methacrylate. It was invented by Otto Rohm and Walter Bauer of Rohm and Haas in Darmstadt Germany. They coined the name Plexiglass because it looked like Glass but could be heated and formed into many shapes. Rohm and Haas patented the product in 1933 and by 1936 was marketing the acrylic sheets under the name of Plexiglas® as a nonbreakable substitute for glass. The clear, lightweight material can be scratched easily and is marred by solvents. It also accumulates a static charge that attracts particles. Plexiglas® is used for signs, lens, containers, windows, skylights, windshields, protective glazing, chalkboards and furniture. Some types of Plexiglas® sold by Arkema are:

- Plexiglas® G UF-4: transmits less than 10% UV and does not have a yellow cast. Transmission starting at 385nm. Overall better visible light transmission; sheet with slightly better edge color

- Plexiglas® G UF-3: transmits less than 2% UV and has a slight yellow cast.Transmission starting at 395nm.

In the United States, Plexiglas® is also sold under the trademark Acrylite®. Some forms of Acrylite® are:

- Acrylite® OP3 MR1: UV filtering mar resistant. 92% light transmission. Transparent. Mar resistant coating (one-sided).

- Acrylite® OP3 P99: UV filtering. 91.9% light transmission. Non-glare surface (one-sided). Soft matte finish.

- Acrylite® OP3: UV filtering. 92% light transmission. Transparent. High-gloss surface.

Synonyms and Related Terms

polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA); polimetilmetacrilato (Esp.); Lucite® [Lucite]; Perspex® [Lucite); Plexiglas® [Arkema]; Altuglas® [Arkema]; Acrylite® [Piedmont Plastics]; acrylic

Applications

Plexiglas® is used for a variety of exhibit related applications, including mount making, glazing, framing, and vitrines.

Personal Risks

Grinding, sanding, and/or sawing can cause dust which may result in respiratory hazard. Also, the product may release fumes and/or vapor of variable composition, depending on processing time and temperature.

Arkema: SDS

Acrylite: SDS

Collection Risks

Links to Oddy Test results posted on AIC Wiki Materials Database Pages for individual materials below:

Plexiglas G tested in 2019.

[ttp://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Oddy_Test_Results:_Case_Construction_Materials#PLEX2 Cast Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)] tested in 2019.

Additional Information

Plexiglas: Website

Sources Checked for Data in Record

• External source or communication Comment: submitted information: James Harwood, University of Akron, September 2008.

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 11

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)

• Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986

• Thomas C. Jester (ed.), Twentieth-Century Building Materials, McGraw-Hill Companies, Washington DC, 1995

• Book and Paper Group, Paper Conservation Catalog, AIC, 1984, 1989

• Marie Svoboda, Conservation Survey Index, unpublished, 1997

• Teri Hensick, contributed information, 1998

• Website address 1 Comment: www.rohmhaas.com/company/history