Polymethyl methacrylate is the synthetic polymer derived from methyl methacrylate.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used as an engineering plastic, and it is a transparent thermoplastic.
Polymethyl methacrylate is often technically classified as a type of glass, in that it is a non-crystalline vitreous substance—hence its occasional historic designation as acrylic glass.
CAS Number: 9011-14-7
Molecular Formula: C15H24O6X2
Molecular Weight: 300.35
EINECS Number: 618-466-4
Synonyms: Methyl methacrylate, Methylmethacrylate, Methyl 2-methylprop-2-enoate, Methyl methylacrylate, Methyl 2-methylpropenoate, Methacrylic acid methyl ester, Pegalan, Methyl-methacrylat, Methyl 2-methyl-2-propenoate, Diakon, Acryester M, 2-Propenoic acid 2-methyl- methyl ester, Methacrylate de methyle, Methyl 2-methylacrylate, 2-Methyl-2-propenoic acid methyl ester, Methacrylsaeuremethyl ester, 2-(Methoxycarbonyl)-1-propene, Metakrylan metylu, Methylmethacrylaat, Metil metacrilato, Methyl α-methylacrylate, Methyl methacrylate monomer, 2-Methylacrylic acid methyl ester, Methacrylic acid methyl ester, Acrylic acid 2-methyl- methyl ester, 2-Methyl-acrylic acid methyl ester, Monocite methacrylate monomer, Methylester kyseliny methakrylove, CHEBI:34840, 2-Methylacrylic acid methyl ester, Methyl meth-d3-acrylate, Cranioplast, Metaplex, Kallocryl A, Simplex P, Methyl ester of 2-methyl-2-propenoic acid, Methacrylic acid-methyl ester, Plexiglass, Methylmethacrylaat [Dutch], Metakrylan metylu [Polish], Methyl-methacrylat [German], Metil metacrilato [Italian], Methacrylate de methyle [French], Methacrylsaeuremethyl ester [German], Eudragit, Methylester kyseliny methakrylove [Czech], methoxymethacrolein, MMA (stabilized), Acrylic resins (PMMA), Methyl 2-methylacrylate, Methyl methacrylate (MMA), Methyl-α-methacrylate, CH2=C(CH3)COOCH3, Methacrylic Acid Methyl Ester (stabilized), METHYL 2-METHYL-2-PROPENOATE [FHFI], Methyl Methacrylate (stabilized with 6-tert-Butyl-2,4-xylenol), Methyl methacrylate monomer, inhibited [UN1247], PROPENOIC ACID 2-METHYL METHYL ESTER (Methacrylate methyl ester).
Polymethyl Methacrylate Outstanding properties include weather resistance and scratch resistance.
Polymethyl methacrylate is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Hesalite, Plexiglas, Acrylite, Lucite, and Perspex, among several others (see below).
This plastic is often used in sheet form as a lightweight or shatter-resistant alternative to glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate can also be used as a casting resin, in inks and coatings, and for many other purposes.
Polymethyl methacrylate is an amorphous transparent thermoplastic polymer.
Polymethyl methacrylate is recognized as an optical polymer based on its refractive index of 1.49.
Hence, Polymethyl methacrylate is used in optical fibers.
Polymethyl methacrylate was found to be an amorphous thermoplastic.
The first major application of the polymer took place during World War II, when Polymethyl methacrylate was used as aircraft windows and bubble canopies for gun turrets.
Polymethyl methacrylate is one of the versatile transparent plastics which offers good mechanical and optical properties.
Some of these characteristics have enabled it to replace glass inseveral applications.
Learn more about all Polymethyl methacrylate properties and their values - ranging from mechanical to electrical to chemical properties, to make right selection for your application.
PMMA, or poly(methyl methacrylate) is a clear, colorless polymer with the molecular formula C5H8O2.
Polymethyl methacrylate is produced through polymerization, which involves placing the methyl methacrylate monomers into a mold with a catalyzing agent.
This allows Polymethyl methacrylate to be formed into a wide variety of shapes, ranging from large sheets and blocks to small pellets and granules.
Polymethyl methacrylate is compatible with all thermoplastic manufacturing methods (including injection molding, compression molding, and others), and can be subsequently machined, sized with saw or laser cutting, or polished.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a strong, tough, and lightweight material. It has a density of 1.17–1.20 g/cm3, which is less than half that of glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate also has good impact strength, higher than both glass and polystyrene, but significantly lower than polycarbonate and some engineered polymers.
Polymethyl methacrylate ignites at 460 °C (860 °F) and burns, forming carbon dioxide, water, carbon monoxide, and low-molecular-weight compounds, including formaldehyde.
Polymethyl methacrylate transmits up to 92% of visible light (3 mm thickness), and gives a reflection of about 4% from each of its surfaces due to its refractive index (1.4905 at 589.3 nm).
Polymethyl methacrylate filters ultraviolet (UV) light at wavelengths below about 300 nm (similar to ordinary window glass).
Some manufacturers add coatings or additives to PMMA to improve absorption in the 300–400 nm range.
Polymethyl methacrylate passes infrared light of up to 2,800 nm and blocks IR of longer wavelengths up to 25,000 nm.
Polymethyl methacrylate varieties allow specific IR wavelengths to pass while blocking visible light (for remote control or heat sensor applications, for example).
Polymethyl methacrylate swells and dissolves in many organic solvents; it also has poor resistance to many other chemicals due to its easily hydrolyzed ester groups.
Nevertheless, its environmental stability is superior to most other plastics such as polystyrene and polyethylene, and therefore it is often the material of choice for outdoor applications.
Polymethyl methacrylate has a maximum water absorption ratio of 0.3–0.4% by weight.
Tensile strength decreases with increased water absorption.
Polymethyl methacrylate is coefficient of thermal expansion is relatively high at (5–10)×10−5 °C−1.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a clear, colorless polymer available in pellet, small granules, and sheet forms.
They are then formed with all thermoplastic methods including injection molding, compression molding, and extrusion.
The highest quality Polymethyl methacrylate sheets are produced by cell casting, but in this case, the polymerization and molding steps occur concurrently.
Polymethyl methacrylate is commonly called acrylic glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent and rigid plastic often used instead of glass in products such as shatterproof windows, illuminated signs, skylights, and aircraft canopies.
Polymethyl methacrylate belongs to the important acrylic family of resins.
Acrylic is chemically known as Polymethyl methacrylate and is a synthetic resin created from the polymerization of methyl methacrylate.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a promising polymer for applications in optical, pneumatic actuation, sensor, analytical separation, and conductive devices.
Other applications include the use of Polymethyl methacrylate in biomedical applications, polymer electrolytes, polymer viscosity, and drug delivery using electro-diffusion or electro-osmotic flow.
Due to its compatibility and easy processing as a polymer moiety, Polymethyl methacrylate with carbon nanotubes or other inorganic materials plays an important role in the development of nanotechnology.
Wang et al., in the preparation of carbon nanotube polymer composites, used poly (styrene-co-acrylonitrile) with poly (methyl methacrylate)-g-multi walled carbon nanotubes.
Polymethyl methacrylate is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, and by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, Perclax, Astariglas, Lucite, and Perspex, among others.
Polymethyl methacrylate is often used in sheet form as a lightweight or shatter-resistant alternative to glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate can also be used as a casting resin and in inks, and coatings.
Polymethyl methacrylate is part of a group of materials called engineering plastics.
The Futuro house was made of fibreglass-reinforced polyester plastic, polyester-polyurethane, and poly(methylmethacrylate); one of them was found to be degrading by cyanobacteria and Archaea.
Polymethyl methacrylate can be joined using cyanoacrylate cement (commonly known as superglue), with heat (welding), or by using chlorinated solvents such as dichloromethane or trichloromethane (chloroform) to dissolve the plastic at the joint, which then fuses and sets, forming an almost invisible weld.
Scratches may easily be removed by polishing or by heating the surface of the material.
Laser cutting may be used to form intricate designs from Polymethyl methacrylate sheets.
Polymethyl methacrylate vaporizes to gaseous compounds (including its monomers) upon laser cutting, so a very clean cut is made, and cutting is performed very easily.
However, the pulsed lasercutting introduces high internal stresses, which on exposure to solvents produce undesirable "stress-crazing" at the cut edge and several millimetres deep.
Even ammonium-based glass-cleaner and almost everything short of soap-and-water produces similar undesirable crazing, sometimes over the entire surface of the cut parts, at great distances from the stressed edge.
Annealing the Polymethyl methacrylate sheet/parts is therefore an obligatory post-processing step when intending to chemically bond lasercut parts together.
In the majority of applications, Polymethyl methacrylate will not shatter.
Rather, Polymethyl methacrylate breaks into large dull pieces.
Since Polymethyl methacrylate is softer and more easily scratched than glass, scratch-resistant coatings are often added to Polymethyl methacrylate sheets to protect it (as well as possible other functions).
Polymethyl methacrylate is rarely sold as an end product, since it is not optimized for most applications.
A small amount of acrylate comonomers are routinely used in Polymethyl methacrylate grades destined for heat processing, since this stabilizes the polymer to depolymerization ("unzipping") during processing.
Polymethyl methacrylates such as butyl acrylate are often added to improve impact strength.
Polymethyl methacrylates such as methacrylic acid can be added to increase the glass transition temperature of the polymer for higher temperature use such as in lighting applications.
Polymethyl methacrylates may be added to improve processing properties, lower the glass transition temperature, improve impact properties, and improve mechanical properties such as elastic modulus.
Dyes may be added to give color for decorative applications, or to protect against (or filter) UV light.
Fillers may be substituted to reduce cost.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a tough, highly transparent material with excellent resistance to ultraviolet radiation and weathering.
Polymethyl methacrylate can be coloured, moulded, cut, drilled, and formed. These properties make it ideal for many applications including airplane windshields, skylights, automobile taillights, and outdoor signs.
Polymethyl methacrylate, comes from the Greek words poly, meaning many, and meros, meaning a part.
A polymer, therefore, is a material made up of many molecules, or parts, linked together like a chain.
Polymethyl methacrylates may have hundreds, or even thousands, of molecules linked together.
More importantly, a Polymethyl methacrylate is a material that has properties entirely different than its component parts.
Polymethyl methacrylate is the basic molecule, or monomer, from which polymethyl methacrylate and many other acrylic plastic polymers are formed.
The chemical notation for this material is [CH2=C(CH3)COOCH3].
Polymethyl methacrylate is written in this format, rather than the more common chemical notation [C5H8O2], to show the double bond (=) between the two carbon atoms in the middle.
Polymethyl methacrylate is more popularly known as acrylic.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent and rigid thermoplastic.
Polymethyl methacrylate is produced from the monomer methyl methacrylate.
Polymethyl methacrylate shows high resistance to UV light and weathering.
Due to its transparency, PMMA is used in car windows, smartphone screens to aquariums.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a tough plastic, easy to shape, and a great alternative to the high-cost and less resilient glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a cost-effective alternative to polycarbonate when desired properties are tensile strength, flexural strength, and transparency.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent material.
Polymethyl methacrylate is also known as acrylic or acrylic glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate is made through polymerization, as it is one of the synthetic polymers.
First, Polymethyl methacrylate is put in a mold with a catalyst added to speed up the process.
Because of this polymerization process, Polymethyl methacrylate can be shaped into many forms, such as sheets, resins, blocks, and beads.
Acrylic glue can also help soften the pieces of Polymethyl methacrylate and weld them together.
Polymethyl methacrylate is easily manipulated in different ways.
Polymethyl methacrylate can be bonded to other materials to help enhance its properties.
Through thermoforming, Polymethyl methacrylate is flexible when heated and solidified when cooled.
Polymethyl methacrylate can be sized appropriately using a saw or laser cutting.
If polished, scratches are removed from the surface, helping to maintain its integrity.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent amorphous polymer.
Polymethyl methacrylate is well known under many other (brand)names such as acrylic, acrylic glass, Plexiglas or Perspex.
Polymethyl methacrylate is very well suited to replace glass where a higher (impact) strength, lower weight and/or easier formability are desired.
Important applications are in windows for aircrafts, safety glass, lighting armatures, car lighting and lenses.
Because the weathering resistance of Polymethyl methacrylate is very good, it is especially suitable for outdoor applications with a long lifespan.
Polymethyl methacrylate is an amorphous transparent thermoplastic polymer.
Polymethyl methacrylate is recognized as an optical polymer based on its refractive index (1.49).
Polymethyl methacrylate is used in optical fibers.
Polymethyl methacrylate finds uses in biological applications because of its lower water absorption capability and biocompatibility.
The maximum moisture content of Polymethyl methacrylate is 1.71% and SBF absorption is 1.96%.
Simulated Body fluid test (SBF) is a method to identify the in vitro bioactivity of ceramic materials, by immersing the materials in an aqueous SBF solution.
Polymethyl methacrylate, which lazy scientists call PMMA, is a clear plastic, used as a shatterproof replacement for glass.
The clear barrier at the ice rink which keeps hockey pucks from flying in the faces of hockey fans is made of Polymethyl methacrylate.
When Polymethyl methacrylate comes to making windows, PMMA has another advantage over glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate is more transparent than glass.
When glass windows are made too thick, they become difficult to see through.
But Polymethyl methacrylate windows can be made as much as 13 inches (33 cm) thick, and they're still perfectly transparent.
This makes Polymethyl methacrylate a wonderful material for making large aquariums, with windows which must be thick in order to contain the high pressure of millions of gallons of water.
Polymethyl methacrylate, is widely known as a plastic component used in products such as plexiglass and other transparent glass substitutes, it is appearing as an ingredient in a number of cosmetics and aestheticians' offices as a filler for wrinkles and fine lines.
According to Wikipedia, Polymethyl methacrylate is chemically "is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate" (an organic methyl ester).
Polymethyl methacrylate's naturally compatible with human tissue, and was a frequent component of contact lenses in the past; it's also been used for dentures and bone replacement, when combined with bovine collagen.
When used in cosmetic surgery, Polymethyl methacrylate microspheres are suspended in biological fluid and injected under the skin to reduce wrinkles or scars permanently.
Polymethyl methacrylate is one of the amorphous polymers that belong to the acrylate family.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a clear, colorless polymer with a glass transition temperature range of 100 degree to 130 degree, and a density of 1.20 g/cm3 at room temperature.
Polymethyl methacrylate melts at 130 degree, with a water absorptivity of 0.3%, moisture absorption at equilibrium of 0.3 to 0.33%, and a linear shrinkage mold of 0.003 to 0.0065 cm/cm.
Polymethyl methacrylate is among the polymers that have high resistance to sunshine exposure because it has a small variation under the effect of UV-radiation.
Polymethyl methacrylate has very good thermal stability, and is known to withstand temperatures as high as 100 degree and as low as 70 degree.
Polymethyl methacrylate also possesses very good optical properties, with a refractive index of 1.490, and a good degree of compatibility with human tissue.
Polymethyl methacrylate is an organic polymer, and its solubility is expected to be governed by “like-dissolve-like,” with polarity playing a major role.
Polymethyl methacrylate shows little deviation, as its solubility is more complex, starting with swelling in the solvent and the subsequent formation of a very soft layer on its surface.
This is then followed by diffusion of the solvent into the whole polymer before it gives a homogenous solution with the solvent.
This is the reason why Polymethyl methacrylate takes a few minutes before it is dissolved completely, even if it is in its best solvent.
Polymethyl methacrylate hydrolyzed completely with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to become poly (methacrylic acid) (PMAA).
Hydrochloric acid and hydro-iodic acid are capable of hydrolyzing Polymethyl methacrylate, but at a slow rate when compared to sulfuric acid.
Polymethyl methacrylate has a predominantly elemental composition of carbon and hydrogen.
Therefore, Polymethyl methacrylate is liable to undergo an exothermic combustion reaction to yield gaseous products (CO2, CO, H2O,) and energy like any other hydrocarbon.
The thermal decomposition of Polymethyl methacrylate has been extensively studied in the absence of oxygen.
The decomposition temperature varies, depending on the approach used in the synthesis of the polymer.
Radically polymerized Polymethyl methacrylate containing terminal C-C bonds decompose at a temperature of 220 degree with simple mechanisms of monomer repeat units bond scission and C-C bond random scission.
Polymethyl methacrylate finds uses in biological applications because of its low water absorption capability and biocompatible.
Polymethyl methacrylate, having the IUPAC name of poly [1-(methoxy carbonyl)- 1-methyl ethylene] from the hydrocarbon standpoint, and poly (methyl 2-methylpropenoate) from the ester standpoint, is a synthetic polymer from the methyl methacrylate monomer as illustrated.
Polymethyl methacrylate was discovered in the early 1930s by British chemists, Rowland Hill and John Crawford, followed by its first application by a German chemist, Otto Rohm, in 1934.
Polymethyl methacrylate is an optically clear (transparent) thermoplastic, and it is widely used as a substitute for inorganic glass, because it shows high impact strength, is lightweight, shatter-resistant, and exhibits favorable processing conditions.
Melting point: 150 °C
Boiling point: 108 °C
Density: 1.188 g/mL at 25 °C
refractive index: n20/D 1.49
Flash point: 250 °C
storage temp.: 2-8°C
solubility: alcohols and aliphatic hydrocarbons: insoluble
form: powder
color: White
Specific Gravity: 1.188
Viscosity: 2.0 to 4.0 mPa-s(0.5g/50mL THF, 20 ℃)
Water Solubility: Soluble in tetrahydrofuran, toluene, cyclohexanone, ethyl acetate and chloroform. Insoluble in water, alcohols and aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Stability: Stable. Combustible. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.
LogP: 1.346 (est)
Polymethyl methacrylate is often called simply "acrylic", acrylic can also refer to other polymers or copolymers containing polyacrylonitrile.
Notable trade names and brands include Hesalite (when used in Omega watches), Acrylite, Lucite, PerClax, R-Cast, Plexiglas, Optix, Perspex, Oroglas, Altuglas, Cyrolite, Astariglas, Cho Chen,] Sumipex, and Crystallite.
Polymethyl methacrylate is an economical alternative to polycarbonate (PC) when tensile strength, flexural strength, transparency, polishability, and UV tolerance are more important than impact strength, chemical resistance, and heat resistance.
Additionally, Polymethyl methacrylate does not contain the potentially harmful bisphenol-A subunits found in polycarbonate and is a far better choice for laser cutting.
Polymethyl methacrylate is often preferred because of its moderate properties, easy handling and processing, and low cost.
Non-modified Polymethyl methacrylate behaves in a brittle manner when under load, especially under an impact force, and is more prone to scratching than conventional inorganic glass, but modified Polymethyl methacrylate is sometimes able to achieve high scratch and impact resistance.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a commonly used manufacturing plastic.
Because of its high transparency, Polymethyl methacrylate is also known as “acrylic glass” or “plexiglass.”
Polymethyl methacrylate is a commonly used manufacturing plastic. Because of its high transparency, Polymethyl methacrylate is also known as “acrylic glass” or “plexiglass.”
The material characteristics of Polymethyl methacrylate are noteworthy for a few reasons: it is a highly translucent, glass-like material that offers high impact and environmental resistance, making it an excellent alternative for true glass in applications where shatter resistance is a desired trait.
This includes aircraft and automotive windscreens, architectural applications, electronics, aquarium windows, and even medical implants.
Polymethyl methacrylate also has some disadvantages: as we have already mentioned, the material deforms under the influence of high temperatures.
Polymethyl methacrylate is therefore not heat-resistant and therefore cannot be used for safety applications, such as glazing in passenger transport vehicles.
Due to its weight, strength and relatively low price, Polymethyl methacrylate is often used for glazing large surfaces, such as wind and noise barriers.
Thanks to its strength, Polymethyl methacrylate is widely used in very large aquariums and basins in zoos.
This requires a glass thickness of up to 30 centimetres, if ordinary glass was used for this, the transparency would be too low and, moreover, the glazing would be much too heavy.
Polymethyl methacrylate can be obtained from its monomer using different techniques of polymerization.
The monomer undergoes polymerization using the common methods of free radical and anionic initiations by bulk, solution, suspension, and emulsion techniques.
Following the discovery of a new technique of Polymethyl methacrylate by Krzysztof Matyjaszewski in 1995 called Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP), Matyjaszewski et al. successfully polymerized the monomer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to produce PMMA as a living polymer with 80% conversion, poly-dispersity as low as 1.1, and an Mn of 20,000 in a few hours.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a suspension of microscopic synthetic polymer beads (microspheres) in a vehicle such as bovine collagen, hyaluronic acid or some other colloidal suspending agent.
Polymethyl methacrylate and MetaCrill (PMMA suspended in a chemical colloid) are two brands of PMMA injectable augmentation products.
The resin has long been used by orthopaedic surgeons in bone cement for joint replacement or to replace a skull bone defect.
Polymethyl methacrylate or possibly more widely known as acrylic is a superb optical material with both high levels of visible and UV light transmission.
Polymethyl methacrylate is widely used in a multitude of point of sale display applications and due to its compatibility with human tissue has found use in a number of medical applications.
Polymethyl methacrylate may be formed in several ways.
One common way is to react acetone [CH3COCH3] with hydrogen cyanide [HCN] to produce acetone cyanhydrin [(CH3)2C(OH)CN].
This in turn is reacted with methyl alcohol [CH3OH] to produce Polymethyl methacrylate.
Other similar monomers such as Polymethyl methacrylate [CH2=CHCOOCH] and acrylonitrile [CH2=CHCN] can be joined with methyl methacrylate to form different acrylic plastics.
When two or more monomers are joined together, the result is known as a copolymer.
Just as with Polymethyl methacrylate, both monomers have a double bond on the middle carbon atoms that splits during polymerisation to link with the carbon atoms of other molecules.
Controlling the proportion of these other monomers produces changes in elasticity and other properties in the resulting plastic.
Common orthographic stylings include polymethyl methacrylate and polymethylmethacrylate.
Uses:
Polymethyl methacrylate is also used extensively throughout the sign industry as a component of wall signs where it may be a backplate, painted on the surface or the backside, a faceplate with additional raised lettering or even photographic images printed directly to it, or a spacer to separate sign components.
Polymethyl methacrylate was used in Laserdisc optical media.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used as a light guide for the backlights in TFT-LCDs.
Plastic optical fiber used for short-distance communication is made from Polymethyl methacrylate, and perfluorinated PMMA, clad with fluorinated Polymethyl methacrylate, in situations where its flexibility and cheaper installation costs outweigh its poor heat tolerance and higher attenuation versus glass fiber.
Polymethyl methacrylate, in a purified form, is used as the matrix in laser dye-doped organic solid-state gain media for tunable solid state dye lasers.
In semiconductor research and industry, Polymethyl methacrylate aids as a resist in the electron beam lithography process.
A solution consisting of the polymer in a solvent is used to spin coat silicon and other semiconducting and semi-insulating wafers with a thin film.
Patterns on this can be made by an electron beam (using an electron microscope), deep UV light (shorter wavelength than the standard photolithography process), or X-rays.
Exposure to these creates chain scission or (de-cross-linking) within the PMMA, allowing for the selective removal of exposed areas by a chemical developer, making it a positive photoresist.
Polymethyl methacrylate's advantage is that it allows for extremely high resolution patterns to be made.
Smooth Polymethyl methacrylate surface can be easily nanostructured by treatment in oxygen radio-frequency plasma and nanostructured PMMA surface can be easily smoothed by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used as a shield to stop beta radiation emitted from radioisotopes.
Small strips of Polymethyl methacrylate are used as dosimeter devices during the Gamma Irradiation process.
The optical properties of Polymethyl methacrylate change as the gamma dose increases, and can be measured with a spectrophotometer.
Polymethyl methacrylate is a rigid thermoplastic widely used as a shatterproof replacement for glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate composites have be used in biomedical applications such as dentistry, orthopedic retainers, and bone replacement.
Polymethyl methacrylate has been used as substrate for graphene growth.
Being transparent and durable, Polymethyl methacrylate is a versatile material and has been used in a wide range of fields and applications such as rear-lights and instrument clusters for vehicles, appliances, and lenses for glasses.
Polymethyl methacrylate in the form of sheets affords to shatter resistant panels for building windows, skylights, bulletproof security barriers, signs & displays, sanitary ware (bathtubs), LCD screens, furniture and many other applications.
Polymethyl methacrylate is also used for coating polymers based on MMA provides outstanding stability against environmental conditions with reduced emission of VOC.
Polymethyl methacrylates are used extensively in medical and dental applications where purity and stability are critical to performance.
Polymethyl methacrylate has been used in the area of biomedical applications, which involves the preparation of bone cements for drug delivery/release and cranioplasty.
The qualities that made the polymer a potential material for these applications include: non-toxicity, less cost, easy processability, compatibility, minimal inflammatory reactions with tissues, and greater fracture resistance, especially when used in cranioplasty.
Polymethyl methacrylate has also been used to widen the applications of chitosan in various fields that include biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
Zuhair et al. reported the successful grafting of a PMMA/chitosan blend.
The results indicated an increase in the mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and flexural modulus.
The degradation, porosity, and water absorbency of the blend in synthetic body fluid (SBF) with a pH of 7.4 increased with an increase in the chitosan percentage and immersion time in SBF.
These behaviors exhibited by the Polymethyl methacrylate/chitosan blend illustrate its potentials for drug release applications.
Molecular separations in Polymethyl methacrylate can be achieved in an advanced way by the use of chromatographic techniques, which involve the use of a stationary phase (inert solid support) and mobile phase (usually solvent or mixture of solvents).
The common solid supports used are inorganic materials such as silica and alumina, but they have low patronage due to their disadvantages in separating some organic molecules, and limited modifications for maximum efficiency.
Therefore, both natural and synthetic polymers have recently been used to replace the inorganic materials.
Polymethyl methacrylate is the most promising synthetic polymer for applications in molecular separation due to its low cost, compatibility, ease of modification, and processability.
Optical science is relevant and studied in many disciplines, including engineering, medicine, pure science, and astronomy.
Practical applications are found in lenses, microscopes, lasers, fibers, and polymers, to name a few.
The optical activity of any material is the result exhibited by that material when interacting with light and the refractive index is the measure of that activity.
The optical applications of Polymethyl methacrylate are due to its refractive index, good resistance to UV light, chemical durability, and good mechanical properties.
Organic polymers are usually cheap, lightweight, and easily processed substrates, and are therefore good for immobilizing semiconductors for heterogeneous photocatalytic applications.
Camara et al. revealed the investigation of eleven synthetic polymers susceptible to coating with TiO2 for exposure to solar radiation, with and without the TiO2 layer, for 150 days to study the weathering.
They observed that only the Polymethyl methacrylate retains good optical and mechanical properties of the Titania after natural weathering.
Therefore, Polymethyl methacrylate is the best candidate for the immobilization of TiO2 for photocatalytic treatment applications.
Polymethyl methacrylates are electrical insulators.
However, conducting polymers can be prepared using an insulating polymer and electrically conductive fillers called dopants.
The electrical properties of Polymethyl methacrylate doped with conducting materials under various experimental conditions including photo-induced changes, has been studied.
Polymethyl methacrylate was used as an organic insulator, while the PVA-PAA-glycerol was a semiconducting polymer.
Polymethyl methacrylates were used as bottom and top electrodes for the fabricated devices.
Finally, organic memory devices were prepared based on the Au-PtAg nanoparticles as charge storage elements.
Polymethyl methacrylate was used as the organic insulator.
A polymer electrolyte membrane for battery application must play the following roles: must enable positive ion transport such as Li+ between the electrodes, must block the electron transport, and must be rigid to prevent direct contact between the electrodes.
The application of Polymethyl methacrylate in the polymer electrolyte was due to the amorphous nature for porosity’s sake and the mechanical strength it has for the provision of the rigidity to the polymer electrolyte membrane.
In search of the production of a quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using a high conductivity polymer gel electrolyte, a suitable polymeric material was needed to be a host matrix in the composite.
Therefore, Polymethyl methacrylate was found to be a good and compatible polymer for this purpose.
This was attributed to its mechanical strength, compatibility, and optical clarity.
Due to the wider application of nanocomposites in the field of nanotechnology, many researchers focused their attention on nanocomposites, their fabrication, and applications.
Perween et al. reported the use of Polymethyl methacrylate and graphite to fabricate plastic chip electrodes (PCEs) via a simple solution casting method.
This characterization was made using microscopy (SEM and AFM) as well as thermal properties (TGA), and mechanical and electrical properties.
The fabricated electrode was economically inexpensive, multipurpose, and dispensable for various applications.
Polymethyl methacrylate is commonly used for constructing residential and commercial aquariums. Designers started building large aquariums when poly(methyl methacrylate) could be used.
Polymethyl methacrylate is less often used in other building types due to incidents such as the Summerland disaster.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used for viewing ports and even complete pressure hulls of submersibles, such as the Alicia submarine's viewing sphere and the window of the bathyscaphe Trieste.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used in the lenses of exterior lights of automobiles.
Spectator protection in ice hockey rinks is made from Polymethyl methacrylate.
Polymethyl methacrylate was an important improvement in the design of aircraft windows, making possible such designs as the bombardier's transparent nose compartment in the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.
Modern aircraft transparencies often use stretched acrylic plies.
Police vehicles for riot control often have the regular glass replaced with Polymethyl methacrylate to protect the occupants from thrown objects.
Polymethyl methacrylate is an important material in the making of certain lighthouse lenses.
Polymethyl methacrylate was used for the roofing of the compound in the Olympic Park for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
Polymethyl methacrylate enabled a light and translucent construction of the structure.
Polymethyl methacrylate panels have been used to redirect sunlight into a light pipe or tubular skylight and, from there, to spread it into a room.
Their developers Veronica Garcia Hansen, Ken Yeang, and Ian Edmonds were awarded the Far East Economic Review Innovation Award in bronze for this technology in 2003.
Attenuation being quite strong for distances over one meter (more than 90% intensity loss for a 3000 K source), acrylic broadband light guides are then dedicated mostly to decorative uses.
Pairs of Polymethyl methacrylate sheets with a layer of microreplicated prisms between the sheets can have reflective and refractive properties that let them redirect part of incoming sunlight in dependence on its angle of incidence.
Such panels act as miniature light shelves.
Such panels have been commercialized for purposes of daylighting, to be used as a window or a canopy such that sunlight descending from the sky is directed to the ceiling or into the room rather than to the floor.
This can lead to a higher illumination of the back part of a room, in particular when combined with a white ceiling, while having a slight impact on the view to the outside compared to normal glazing.
Polymethyl methacrylate include: automotive lights, home appliances, lenses for glasses, shatter-resistant panels for windows, skylights, bulletproof security barriers, signs and displays, LCD screens, bathtubs, furniture, and acrylic nails, and many other applications.
Polymethyl methacrylate is also used for coating polymers based on MMA and offers stability against environmental conditions with reduced VOC emission.
Polymethyl methacrylates are used broadly in medical and dental applications where purity and strength are critical to performance. Here are some other uses of polymethyl methacrylate.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used as an inexpensive alternative to polycarbonate when tensile strength, flexural strength, polishability, transparency, and UV tolerance are most important.
Polymethyl methacrylate also does not contain the potentially harmful bisphenol-A subunits found in polycarbonate and is a better choice for laser cutting.
Polymethyl methacrylate is often favored because of its moderate properties, easy handling and processing, and low cost.
Polymethyl methacrylate is brittle when under load, especially under an impact force, and is more prone to scratching than conventional inorganic glass.
Polymethyl methacrylate can sometimes achieve high scratch and impact resistance.
Polymethyl methacrylate has excellent mechanical properties and low toxicity.
Polymethyl methacrylate is popular for hip-joint transplantations because of its inert properties and displays slow degradation.
Polymethyl methacrylate composites have be used in biomedical applications such as dentistry, orthopedic retainers, and bone replacement.
Polymethyl methacrylate has been used as substrate for graphene growth.
Polymethyl methacrylate, in the commercial form Technovit 7200 is used vastly in the medical field.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used for plastic histology, electron microscopy, as well as many more uses.
Polymethyl methacrylate has been used to create ultra-white opaque membranes that are flexible and switch appearance to transparent when wet.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used in tanning beds as the transparent surface that separates the occupant from the tanning bulbs while tanning.
The type of Polymethyl methacrylate used in tanning beds is most often formulated from a special type of polymethyl methacrylate, a compound that allows the passage of ultraviolet rays.
Sheets of Polymethyl methacrylate are commonly used in the sign industry to make flat cut out letters in thicknesses typically varying from 3 to 25 millimeters (0.1 to 1.0 in).
These letters may be used alone to represent a company's name and/or logo, or they may be a component of illuminated channel letters.
Safety Profile:
Questionable carcinogen with experimental tumorigenic data by implant route.
When heated to decomposition it emits Polymethyl methacrylate smoke and irritating fumes.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used as the main constituent of acrylic sheet, moldmg, and extrusion powders.
Polymethyl methacrylate is used so often because it has the same beneficial qualities as glass without the fragility issues.
Polymethyl methacrylate glass has excellent optical properties, with the same refractive index as glass when in solid form.