Acrylic is such a useful and versatile material that can be used to substitute glass. Back in the days, acrylic plastic is only used for outdoor and architectural usage. But now, thanks to the rapid technology development, acrylic can also be used to make indoor furniture, small DIY projects and other things we often use in daily basis such as the glass on a helmet, bottle, and even fake nails.
Acrylic is marketed under so many different names, such as Perspex. Even though the name varies, Perspex and other acrylic brands are actually made of the same composition, and still well-known for its toughness and durability. Now, let’s find out why acrylic is more preferred nowadays compared to ordinary glass in various industries.
Durable and Impact Resistant
Glass is beautiful and all, it is certainly an eye catching material to be used for outdoor architecture and sales signs or display. Unfortunately, it is not a secret that glass is very vulnerable and even a small impact can shatter it to pieces. This is why many people prefer to use acrylic glass nowadays.
Acrylic is made of plastic so it is impact resistant. Since it is unbreakable, it is also safer and can be safely used for aquarium glass, helmet glass, protective shield and even prison windows.
Very Transparent
Even though acrylic is basically plastic, it has glass characteristic and it is very transparent. As a matter of fact, acrylic glass is even better than ordinary glass since it is more transparent and it will not turn yellow easily. It makes acrylic the best candidate for places that need to maintain its clarity such as store front, CCTV screen and shop display.
Furthermore, since acrylic glass remains translucent for a very long time, maintenance becomes very easy and cheap. There is no need to use expensive chemical material since a simple cloth and water are enough to clean the acrylic glass.
Easy to be Shaped
Another excellent quality of acrylic is the fact that it is very easy to mold. When it is heated to a certain degree (above 100 degrees), the shape of the acrylic will change and you can mold it into any shape you like. This is why acrylic is a perfect material to create dome shaped glass like the aquarium. When the temperature goes down, the plastic will retain its shape and it will not be changed unless it is heated to 100 degrees again.