Does Acrylic Sheeting Yellow

Exposure to uv radiation can cause plastics to change color turn yellow crack break shatter or even melt.

Does acrylic sheeting yellow.

Sunlight especially ultraviolet radiation has a negative effect on most plastics but not acrylic. It will withstand exposure to high levels of uv light salt water spray extreme cold and dramatic temperature changes without shattering fogging or losing its lustre. As a result colored sheets will not noticeably discolor for decades unless it becomes dirty or is chemically damaged. Uv filtering acrylic is one of the most popular specialized acrylic sheeting solutions on the market today.

Witness the protective canopies and bubbles in the world war ii bombers they are still clear after 50 years in the sun. Plexiglass is inherently 92 uv resistant and a special coating can be applied to make it 98 uv resistant. American made acrylic does not yellow in the sunlight. Although uv filtering plexiglass can not completely prevent colors from fading or darkening it does filter out up to 98 of harmful uv light.

In addition to this an increase in the amount of uvb also degrades the polycarbonate material. This makes it the ideal plastic sheet material for protecting artwork paper or other keepsakes that can turn yellow fade and become brittle. Acrylic is derived from natural gas and is completely inert in its solid form and will not yellow in the sunlight. American made acrylic does not yellow in the sunlight.

What does all these imply. Acrylic plexiglass sheet 1 8 thick heavy duty lucite plastic board for diy and art projects décor and home improvement weather and uv resistant glass replacement 12 x 12 yellow. There are three other clear plastics that do yellow in the sun and get confused with acrylic styrene petg and polycarbonate. Optix acrylic sheet is a lightweight impact resistant optix acrylic sheet is a lightweight impact resistant transparent material that is a great replacement for glass in many applications.

Plexiglass also known as acrylic is very resistant to discoloration and fading. Its higher impact strength makes it a great glass replacement for applications such as garage door windows storm windows and other glazing needs. Witness the protective canopies and bubbles in the wwii plexiglas is a trade name acrylic extruded or cast medium grade acrylic sheets rods tubes pvc type 1 clear also i the acrylic family pet polyester soad bottle material. The ultra violet spectrum of light doesn t play well with most polymers unless of course you add light stabilizers but we ll get to that in a moment.

Moreover they make these materials to turn yellow.