What's the Difference Between Plexiglas and Lucite?

Large aquariums use PMMA for windows.

Lucite and Plexiglas refer to the same versatile material, technically known as polymethyl-methacrylate, or PMMA. Also sold under the brand names CrystaLite and Perspex, this strong, durable and clear plastic often serves as a substitute for glass.

Types

Ineos Acrylics manufactures and sells PMMA under the Lucite name, while Rohm and Haas produce Plexiglas. Paints labeled as "acrylic" also contain PMMA.

Benefits

Highly impact and scratch resistant, PMMA offers more transparency than glass and is relatively lightweight.

History

Polymethyl-methacrylate saw wide production by 1936 in nations such as the U.S., England and Germany. Used during World War II as material for aircraft canopies and a semi-bulletproof glaze on planes designed for battle, PMMA soon found its way into homes and businesses in countless applications.

Fun Fact

Airplane windshields and the walls of most large aquariums, as well as the clear barriers that keep hockey fans safe from flying pucks, contain polymethyl-methacrylate.

Potential

PMMA shows promise in the biomedical field, as doctors test its efficacy as pins and screws to hold together bones, and as a reconstructive agent to fill in defects caused by trauma, and even as a filler to erase wrinkles on the skin.

References

• Lucite International: Going Further
• Altuglass International: Global Leader in PMMA
• Polymer Science Learning Center: Polymethyl-Methacrylate
• Plastics.co.UK: What Are Plastics?
• Rplastics: Plexiglas Sheet History
• DME3D.com: Long-Term Efficacy of Bimodel Polymethyl-Methacrylate Implants for Orbitofacial Defects

Resources

• Rplastics: Plexiglas Physical Properties