Glossary

Glossary

Our list of terms considered with PLEXIGLAS®.

Abrasion Resistance

is the resistance of the surface against the separation of small particles as a result of mechanical stress.

Acrylic glass

Collective term for crystal-clear or transparent, translucent and opaque colored semifinished sheet products, primarily made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The crystal-clear thermoplastic or thermoelastic, which can be endowed with a great variety of colors, features both high light transmittance and extraordinary weather resistance. It was first developed by Dr. Otto Röhm, who registered it under the trademark PLEXIGLAS®.

Thickness tolerance

	Thickness in mm
PLEXIGLAS® GS Sheet	2,0	3,0	4,0	5,0	6,0	8,0	10,0	12,0	15,0	20,0	25,0
Tolerance of thickness (± mm)	0,6	0,7	0,8	0,9	1,0	1,2	1,4	1,6	1,9	2,4	2,9

	Thickness in mm
PLEXIGLAS® GS Block	30	35	50	70	100
Tolerance of thickness in mm	-2/+2	-2/+3	-2/+3	-2/+3	-3/+9

PLEXIGLAS® XT Sheet:

• < 3 mm thickness: ±10% of the thickness
• ≥ 3 mm thickness: ±5% of the thickness

Note:

Whether a material is PLEXIGLAS® XT or PLEXIGLAS® GS can be identified by the length of the grade:

- if 4 digits are used, the material is PLEXIGLAS® GS

- if 5 digits are used, the material is PLEXIGLAS® XT

Tolerance for tubes and rods

Please see thickness tolerance of tubes and rods table.

Chemical resistance

In many plastics applications, the question of resistance when the plastic comes in contact with particular agents or materials is of concern. The simplest method of testing a plastic’s chemical resistance consists of bringing specimens into contact with the agents in question without adding any extra stress. This is accomplished by immersing the plastic into liquids or, in the case of solids, placing the solid on the surface of the plastic. The changes in appearance, weight and strength that may result after storage then serve as evaluation criteria.

Light Transmittance (Transparency)

Light transmittance is a measure of how well a material transmits light that is perpendicularly incident to the surface. The spectral transmittance of colorless PLEXIGLAS® grades for perpendicular incidence in the visible range is a constant (92%). The peak value of 92% can be attributed solely to physically-caused reflection losses of 4% each at the light admission and light emission surfaces. Since PLEXIGLAS® has no color of its own, it can be colored with extraordinary precision and into nearly any shade.

Light resistance

Resistance to discoloration and changes in physical properties under the action of light. Light resistance is a general term and refers to changes in properties under the action of light in general.

Care

Recommendations for PLEXIGLAS®:

Clear water and a damp cloth are all that are needed for normal daily cleaning. Water, grease and soap stains are easily removed by adding a little dishwashing liquid to warm water and wiping with a moist cloth. Diluted vinegar essence is the best cleaner for removing calcifications. Dirt that is harder to remove can be eliminated with acryl polish and a soft cloth.

PLEXIGLAS®

is our registered trademark for the first acrylic glass in the world is a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) was first produced in 1933 was invented by Dr. Otto Röhm

Polymerization

is defined as the combining of a large number of separate molecules (monomers) into one larger molecule (polymer). During the cooling phase, the larger molecules solidify to form a solid. Amorphous substances can be considered as supercooled liquids. In the amorphous state (spatial felt structure), the macromolecules are completely unordered, like the molecules in a liquid.

Transparency

See light transmittance

Enviroment

PLEXIGLAS® grades made by Röhm GmbH meet the most stringent environmental requirements. The PLEXIGLAS® grades contain no bisphenol A, no harmful heavy metals and no harmful plasticizers. Please visit our sustainability section for more information.

Heat deflection temperature

The heat deflection temperature is a measure for the resistance of a material on exposure to heat and load. In practice, the maximum permanent service temperature is usually stated:

PLEXIGLAS® GS: 80°C

PLEXIGLAS® XT: 70°C