Grumble Alert The differences between acrylic and polycarbonate

[Acrylic Queen]

Recently I spent about five hours doing some research on the properties of both acrylic and polycarbonate. The pros and cons of each product and when and why a framer would use polycarbonate instead of acrylic for glazing. I will leave out most of the technical stuff, you can look that up for yourself, but there does seem to be some confusion about these two products. Some think they are interchangable or the same thing and few know why you would use polycarbonate instead of acrylic. I wrote a short paper on this subject and would be more than happy to forward this info to any framer who is interested. Just contact me by phone at our TOLL FREE number 877-422-7954 or our NEW EMAIL address. acrylicbylois@gmail.com or loisbauby@gmail.com and I will send the info right away. Sooner or later if you haven't already been asked to use polycarbonate, you will be and you, the framer and expert, need to be aware of when to explain to your customer why NOT to use polycarbonate and to understand why they may be requesting this product.

 

[Prospero]

Polycarbonate is tough and won't shatter. You could fold a sheet in half and flatten it again and it wouldn't crack.

 

[Acrylic Queen]

That's true about polycarbonate but it also scratches easier than acrylic and will in a relatively short amount of time yellow. Polycarbonate is designed as a building material for exactly the reason you mentioned is a part of it's properties. I couldn't find a combustion temperature but rather only the temperature at which it will melt. Being very flexiable isn't probably a quality we want it glazing for artwork.

 

[wpfay]

It'll stop a bullet, but not a paper towel.

 

[Scallywag]

I had to use a polycarbonate on a big piece (24 x 160) Any other materials available that big?

 

[Lance E]

I had to use a polycarbonate on a big piece (24 x 160) Any other materials available that big?

Plexiglass XTUV100 is available in sheets large enough to fit this size.

 

[Acrylic Queen]

I can and often do get material as large as 100 X 125. I can have it coated to be UV, or abrasion resistant or non-glare. The answer to the question is yes, you can find acrylic that large and not have to use polycarbonate.

 

[Baer Charlton]

In 1987 we got some sheets of 3/8" 111x156 out of Chicago.....
the shipping cost more than the two sheets of Acrylic.

 

[David Waldmann]

Large acrylic sizes

I happened to have an inquiry from a customer this afternoon for some moulding that's 17-18' long, and he mentioned that the glazing was 192" so I asked him where he got it. He told me Ain Plastics (his contact is George Coles, greater NYC rep), they apparently sourced it from somewhere in Texas. Shipping to NY was only about $225 I believe he said (however, that may have been a split cost with other materials shipped in to NY at the same time).