Plexiglas Radiant, a colori arcobaleno

Acrylic sheets have universal applications: for lightweight constructions in model making or visual displays, in picture frames or glazing as well as for making signs and light boxes.

Acrylic semifinished products do not turn yellow in the sunshine. This makes them perfect for outdoor use. Because acrylic glass is subject to thermal expansion, any fixing or mounting systems must be so designed that the sheets are never under stress.

Acrylic glass is a great light guide or conductor. This attribute makes it an interesting and versatile material for use in lamps and other lighting devices. It should be noted, however, that the material absorbs the light over its surface and radiates it outwards at the edges (the edges are bright when seen from the side). The lighted surface should therefore never be masked or covered. Milled cuts will also emit the light when a sheet is backlit. You should be careful when choosing a lighting medium, keeping in mind that the maximum allowable temperature for acrylic glass is between 70 and 80 °.

We are often asked what the difference is between Plexiglas and acrylic glass: it has been our experience that the product with the trademark name Plexiglas, which is produced by the Degussa company, is of the same quality as the acrylic glass produced by other west European companies.

Treatment: Acrylic glass sheets should be sawn. In order to keep the cut edges as clean and transparent as possible, it is recommended, especially in model making, to add some detergent when sawing. Highly glazed edges can be attained through sanding and polishing.

Acrylic glass should not be cleaned with glass cleaners like Sidolin because they can corrode or deface it. Warm water with detergent or special plastic cleaners should be used.

The cast PMMA (GS) lends itself to machining much better than the extruded (XT) version. Because of this, we only recommend the use of the extruded material when not very much boring, milling or turning is planned. Choosing the more economically priced acrylic XT makes the most sense when it is to be used for glazing, picture frames, in simple model making and anywhere else where untreated surfaces are to be used. As far as the eye can tell there is no difference in transparency between the two types.

If you wish, we can send you more detailed and useful hints for glazing with acrylic glass sheets. If you wish, we will gladly send you more detailed and useful hints for glazing work with acrylic glass sheets. Acrylic glass XT can be deformed at temperatures between 150 °C und 160 °C.

Plexiglas Radiant is an acrylic glass sheet one side of which has an annealed surface that breaks up any light reaching it in such a way that, depending on the viewing angle, it fluoresces all the colours of the rainbow. The colours change with the vantage point and at the same time it gives off reflections like a mirror.

This fascinating surface is the result of a foil covering on one side that is attached so firmly that under normal circumstances it will never come off. When working with or storing this material a few particularities must be considered. These are spelled out in the section “Treatment”.

In most other ways, Plexiglas is not really very different from normal acrylic glass XT. One difference, however, is that, in contrast to the XT, it is only suitable for indoor use. It has only limited weather resistance in the outdoors.

Applications: A material with such an incredible and attractive surface is naturally best suited for uses where getting everybody’s attention is the goal. It is therefore ideal for making interesting eye-catchers, attention-getting displays, extremely effective signs or colour-rich trade show booths.

Treatment: Working with Plexiglas Radiant is not much different from working with acrylic glass XT. It can be sawn, milled, bored and polished and can be formed into practically any shape through thermoforming. In these cases the following tips should be taken into account:

When being worked on with reworking machines the cutting tool must enter the annealed surface (colourless protective film) and go all the way, top to bottom, through the non-annealed surface (blue protective film) if the primary surface is not to be ruined.

The non-annealed side from both Plexiglas and normal acrylic glass can be glued using the adhesives that are usually applied when working with acrylics and with the same level of adherence. The final strength of adherence when gluing the annealed side, however, is very different. By using cyanoacrylate glues (super glue) the final strength of the adhesion can be slightly increased. If greater adhesion is required, the manufacturer recommends that the part of the annealed surface that is to be glued should be removed. When working with polyester adhesive tapes, you should be careful that, after you have finished gluing, you remove them by pulling from the middle towards the edge so as to avoid stripping the annealed surface away at the edge.

Plexiglas Radiant can be bent using a linear bending machine whereby the annealed side of the sheet should be on the outside of the bend (tension side). In the case of moderate bending, the non-annealed side should be heated, with heavy bending of more than 90 degrees it should be the annealed side that is heated.

If Plexiglas Radiant is to be formed through the use of a thermoform machine, the annealed surface should be the one facing the heat source if only one side is to be heated. Moderate deformations by means of deep drawing is also possible with Plexiglas Radiant. In that case, and in the case of stretch forming, the annealed surface should be the tension side. Because the rainbow effect weakens in proportion to the amount of change in shape, we recommend that you make a trial run beforehand. The recommended forming temperatures lie, as with Plexiglas XT sheets, between 150° and 160°.

Plexiglas Radiant can be flame polished just like any normal acrylic sheet. In that case it is recommended that you work in stacks in which the annealed surfaces should face inwards so as to be protected from the flame. When flame polishing single sheets the manufacturer recommends that you lay the annealed side of your sheet onto a normal acrylic sheet in order to protect that surface.

Scratches on the annealed surface cannot be polished away. You should therefore be especially careful not to scratch that side. The sheets should be stored in a horizontal position and lie completely flat. Plexiglas Radiant should not be stored either in a vertical position or near a heat source.