The "belle" in the plastic world, more transparent than glass and more durable than metal

PMMA(Polymethyl Methacrylate)is a high - molecular compound polymerized from methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers and has thermoplasticity.

PMMA boasts excellent optical transparency, weather resistance, and processing properties. It is often referred to as “plexiglass” or “acrylic”.

It was first successfully trial-produced in the laboratory by German chemist Otto Rohm in 1910. In 1927, the German company Rohm and Haas produced this material through polymerization reaction, and in 1931, it built production facilities and began the industrial production of PMMA.

The founder of JAFFA has deeply engaged in the sales of PLEXGLAS® sheets in the Chinese region of Röhm Chemical. This background has built four core differential advantages for JAFFA, an independent acrylic factory, in terms of technology, quality, supply chain, as well as customers and market. It endows us with strong competitiveness in the fields of B - end customization and high - end applications.

Since the realization of industrial production, PMMA has become an important transparent polymer material worldwide, occupying a key position in fields such as optical instruments, medical equipment, construction engineering, and aerospace

The light transmittance of PMMA is as high as 90%~92%, while that of ordinary silicate glass is only 85%, with a haze of <2%. Its refractive index is 1.49, which is similar to that of optical glass. The transmittance of ultraviolet light (200~400 nm) is 73%, which is much higher than that of ordinary glass (only 0.6%), and it is widely used in ultraviolet-requiring scenarios such as medical sterilization and plant supplementary lighting.

The weather resistance of the material is very good. It is not easy to yellow or become brittle after long-term ultraviolet radiation, and its service life when used outdoors is more than 10 years. In terms of chemical resistance, it has quite good water resistance. However, its resistance to organic solvents is not good, such as acetone, chloroform, etc. Special attention should be paid during use: do not let it come into direct contact with such materials.III. Application Fields and Typical Cases

III. Application Fields and Typical Cases

Precision optical components: They can be used as materials for camera lenses and AR/VR optical lenses. Due to the advantages of high light transmittance (92%) and light weight (density 1.2 g/cm³), they can reduce the weight of optical instruments by more than 30%.

 Display technology: It is the main material for LED backlight module light guide plates and LCD diffuser plates. The optical uniformity error of PMMA is less than 5%, which can conduct light energy efficiently.

Artificial organs: Since 1949, due to the good biocompatibility (cytotoxicity grade 0) and long-term stability of PMMA, it has been used in intraocular lenses for cataract surgery, with a cumulative implantation of more than 300 million cases so far.

Medical equipment: It is widely used in the transparent cabin of infant incubators and the protective cover of surgical microscopes. After 500 times of ultraviolet disinfection, the material performance retention rate is over 95%.

Building lighting: The Munich Olympic Stadium uses PMMA materials with a single piece area of 50 square meters for its light-transmitting roof, which is also the material used for light-transmitting panels covering greenhouses. Its lighting efficiency is more than 15% higher than that of glass.

Industrial protection: When used on sound insulation barriers of expressways, it can reduce noise by 35 dB; during World War II, the cockpit cover of the British Spitfire fighter was also made of PMMA material, with an impact resistance speed of more than 200 m/s, preventing the cockpit from being pierced.

Lightweight components: For products such as aircraft portholes and automobile tail light covers, PMMA can completely replace glass. It has better light transmittance, lighter weight, and lower energy consumption.

 Special protection: PMMA is also found in the interlayer of bulletproof glass, which can withstand 9mm pistol shooting; dashboard covers that need impact resistance can withstand temperatures ranging from -40°C to 80°C.

Surface modification technology: Coating a layer of silica nanomaterials on the surface of PMMA materials can increase the material's hardness to 6H; higher hardness naturally means better scratch resistance.

Blending modification: PMMA can also be blended with PC to improve the material's heat resistance, allowing the long-term service temperature to be increased to 120°C. The composite material of PMMA and graphene can enhance the material's antistatic properties.

Bio-based raw materials: Germany's Evonik produces ethanol through sugarcane fermentation. Bio-based ethanol and methanol are catalyzed to generate MMA through carbonylation reaction, reducing the carbon footprint by 40%, and has achieved 10,000-ton scale production;

Circular recycling: Waste PMMA can be converted into MMA monomers through thermal cracking, with a recovery rate of more than 90%, and all waste PMMA can be recycled again.