PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) is a transparent thermoplastic polymer widely known by trade names such as Plexiglas and Acrylic. It combines optical clarity with reasonable stiffness and moderate mechanical strength, making it a versatile engineering choice where visibility, light transmission, or aesthetic appearance matters alongside structural performance. Industries value PMMA for applications requiring clarity combined with weather resistance, chemical stability, and ease of processing; it is frequently selected over glass where impact resistance, light weight, or design flexibility is needed, though it offers lower hardness and thermal limits compared to mineral glass or high-performance engineering polymers.
Compliance & Regulations
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Compressive Strength(σc) | 9.503 | ksi | — | ||
Elongation at Break(εf) | 57.57 | - | — | ||
Flexural Strength (MOR)(σf) | 11.24 | ksi | — | ||
Hardness (Vickers)(HV) | 286.5 | HV | — | ||
Ultimate Tensile Strength(σUTS) | 7.090 | ksi | — | ||
Young's Modulus(E) | 323.4 | ksi | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Glass Transition Temperature(Tg) | 225.5 | °F | — | ||
Melting Point / Solidus(Tm) | 306.3 | °F | — | ||
Maximum Service Temperature(Tmax) | 613.2 | °F | — | ||
Thermal Conductivity(k) | 0.2300 | BTU/(hr·ft·°F) | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Band Gap(Eg) | 4.251 | eV | — |
| Property | Value | Unit | Conditions | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Refractive Index(n) | 1.491 | - | — |