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Acrylic or Polycarbonate, which one to choose?


There exists a great variety of plastic that can be used on your custom objects. Among the most popular plastics at Plastica, we find acrylic (Plexiglass, Acrylite, Plaskolite) and polycarbonate (Lexan, Makrolon). Often used for their transparency, these two materials both have a similar appearance. To choose the material you need, I invite you to read what follows. In this article, we will discuss their differences, their strengths, their weaknesses as well as their popular uses.


The differences

Although Plexiglass and Lexan are both made out of polymer, they have several different properties. Polycarbonate is known for its solidity. It is a material sufficiently flexible that resists very well to impacts and heat. Just to give you an idea, some ranges of polycarbonate are used as bulletproof screens. Acrylic is very appreciated for its excellent transparency. It has a light transmission at 92% against 88% for polycarbonate. Although both materials have a similar appearance, we can easily recognize them: acrylic has a whitish edge while polycarbonate has a bluish edge.


In comparison

comparison acrylic polycarbonate

Popular Uses

In conclusion, acrylic and polycarbonate are two excellent materials for your projects. Both can have digital printing, be cut with CNC and be glued for manufacturing. Furthermore, these two materials are easy to clean.


If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us!

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