Transparency is a characteristic of plastic. Transparent plastic has various characteristics and features.
Transparent plastics (board materials) are
Acrylic
Vinyl chloride
PET
PC (polycarbonate)
and PC (polycarbonate), etc.
What are the applications and how should we select a transparent plastic?

1. why is it transparent?

Plastics, called thermoplastics, include crystalline and amorphous resins, and amorphous resins are generally transparent.
What are crystalline and amorphous plastics?

Crystalline plastic
When the temperature is lowered from the melted state, the molecular motion slowly subsides, and the resin becomes partially aligned and solidified.

Amorphous plastic
Resin that has solidified by lowering the temperature from a state in which a reduced amount of the raw material is melted and molecular motion slowly subsides, but remains randomly entangled and not aligned.

As a result, the refractive index of light differs, and amorphous resins that are randomly entangled have a lower refractive index of light and are therefore more transparent.　
The figure below shows an image of amorphous and crystalline resins.

Since amorphous plastics have random molecular chains, their physical properties are inferior to those of crystalline resins.
In general
Generally, heat resistance temperature is low.
Weak chemical resistance
Low strength
Heat bending and welding are possible.
PET is classified as a crystalline plastic, but its low crystallinity makes it transparent.

2. various characteristics and features

Based on the above, the characteristics and features of each transparent plastic are as follows

Vinyl chloride
Excellent in chemical resistance and flame retardance
Excellent in weather resistance and can withstand outdoor use.
Less transparent, with a slight bluish tinge
Superior in terms of cost

PET
About 4 times higher impact strength than acrylic
No toxic gas is generated even if it burns.
No toxic gases are generated even if it burns.

■Acrylic
Excellent transparency and workability (also used for covers of industrial machinery, cases of art works, etc.)
∙ Good weather resistance and widely used for outdoor applications such as signboards
It is also useful as a substitute for glass because it has a transmittance of 93%, which is higher than that of glass, and it does not shatter even if it is broken.
It is a highly practical material with a wide range of colors to choose from.

PC
PC has the highest impact strength among clear plates (about 30 times that of acrylic).
PC ・Has excellent heat and cold resistance (also used in a wide range of safety fields such as disaster prevention and protection).
Although not as strong as acrylic, it has a transmittance of 85% or higher, which is as good as that of glass.
Some grades are compliant with the Food Sanitation Law and can be used for product equipment.　
Cost is higher than other transparent plastics.
・ Low thermal conductivity makes bending difficult.

3. Summary

It is very important to know the characteristics and features of transparent resins, depending on where and in which application.
This is a rough summary, but if you would like to know more detailed information, please contact us.
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