Tips for Engineering Plastic Sheets: Introduction, Physical and Chemical Properties, Installation...

Oct 08, 2024

Ⅰ. Types of Engineering Plastic Sheets

Yiheda commonly uses four types of engineering plastic sheets: acrylic sheet (PMMA), polycarbonate sheet (PC), polyvinyl chloride sheet (PVC), and aluminum-plastic composite sheet, of which the first three are plastic sheets.

Ⅱ. Features

1. Acrylic sheet (PMMA)

Introduction	Acrylic is also known as PMMA or plexiglass, with the chemical name polymethyl methacrylate. It is polymerized from methyl methacrylate (PMMA) monomers. All the acrylic sheets sold by our company are cast acrylic sheets.
Density	1.15~1.2g/cm³
Light Transmittance	Over 92%
Operating Temperature	-30℃~60℃
Main Features	- Excellent transparency: With crystal-like transparency, it is known as "plastic crystal," with a light transmittance of over 92%, providing soft light and clear vision. - Superior processing performance: It has good processing properties, and can be thermoformed or mechanically processed. - High safety: Lightweight, shatter-resistant, and even if broken, it does not form sharp fragments like glass. - Excellent weather resistance: Highly adaptable to natural environments, its performance remains unchanged even after prolonged exposure to sunlight, wind, and rain, with good aging resistance. - Good stability: Its abrasion resistance is close to that of aluminum, with good stability, and it can resist corrosion from various chemicals.
Applications	With excellent light transmittance, diverse colors and surface textures, good plasticity, and long lifespan, it is widely used in industries such as instrument parts, automotive lights, optical lenses, and transparent pipelines.

2. Polycarbonate sheet (PC)

Introduction	PC sheet, also known as polycarbonate sheet or Capron sheet, is an engineering plastic with excellent comprehensive properties. It has outstanding physical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, and is renowned as the "King of Transparent Plastics."
Density	1.2g/cm³
Light Transmittance	85%~92%
Operating Temperature	-40℃~95℃
Main Features	- Impact resistance: Its impact strength is 250-300 times that of ordinary glass, 30 times that of acrylic sheets of the same thickness, and 10-20 times that of tempered glass. It is known as "unbreakable glass" and "sounding steel." - Good sound insulation: PC sheets have a significant soundproofing effect, offering better acoustic insulation compared to glass and acrylic sheets of the same thickness. - Energy efficiency: PC sheets have a lower thermal conductivity than ordinary glass and other plastics, offering 7%-25% better thermal insulation than glass of the same thickness, with maximum insulation up to 49%. - Flame retardant: The ignition point of PC sheets is 580°C, and they self-extinguish after being removed from the fire. They do not produce toxic gases during combustion and do not contribute to the spread of fire.
Applications	Suitable for environments requiring high impact resistance, sound insulation, and some degree of thermal insulation. It is widely used for protective covers, machine guards, and sound barriers.

3. Polyvinyl chloride board (PVC)

Introduction	PVC, also known as polyvinyl chloride, is naturally a pale yellow, semi-transparent granular material with a glossy finish. It can be classified into PVC transparent sheets and opaque PVC sheets. Currently, our company only supplies PVC transparent sheets, which have a slight blue-purple tint.
Density	1.38~1.4g/cm³
Light Transmittance	Above 80%
Operating Temperature	-15°C~60°C
Main Features	- Flame Retardancy: PVC has a flame retardant value above 40, does not self-ignite, and does not promote combustion. It burns when in contact with flames but extinguishes immediately once the flame is removed. - Durability: PVC has high oxidation resistance and maintains its properties over an extended period. - Stability: PVC is insoluble in water, alcohol, gasoline, and gases. It is chemically resistant to some extent and is non-toxic and odorless. - Processability: PVC sheets have good printability and sprayability and are suitable for secondary processing. They perform well in drilling, engraving, bending, high-frequency bonding, and vacuum forming.
Applications	Suitable for environments where high light transmittance is not required, but corrosion resistance, flame retardancy, and various processing needs are important. It is widely used in protective covers, interior parts, drinking water tanks, liquid level displays, and more.

4. Aluminum-plastic composite panel

Introduction	Aluminum-plastic composite panels are made of multiple layers of materials. The upper and lower layers are high-purity aluminum alloy plates, and the middle layer is a non-toxic, low-density polyethylene (PE) core. The front surface is also covered with a protective film.
Density	The weight is approximately 4.0~5.5 kg per square meter (5mm thickness).
Light Transmittance	/
Operating Temperature	-40°C~70°C
Main Features	- Flame Retardancy: The core of the aluminum-plastic panel is made of flame-retardant PE plastic, and both sides are covered by highly non-combustible aluminum layers. Therefore, it is a safe fire-resistant material that meets building code fire resistance requirements. - Impact Resistance: Strong impact resistance, high toughness, and the surface paint remains intact even when bent. It is highly resistant to damage, making it ideal for regions with strong winds and sand without the risk of surface damage. - Superior Weather Resistance: Due to the fluorocarbon resin (PVDF) coating on its surface, the panel offers excellent weather resistance, maintaining its appearance even under extreme sunlight or harsh winter conditions.
Applications	Suitable for harsh environments where light transmission is not required. Aluminum-plastic panels can generally replace other materials and offer a more economical solution.

5. Characteristics and common surface hardness of acrylic, PVC and PC sheets

Property	Acrylic (PMMA)	Polycarbonate (PC)	PVC
Surface Hardness	Hardness can reach 4H; hardened coatings can reach 4-6H.	N/A	N/A
Light Transmittance	Up to 93%	Approximately 85-90%	Over 80%
Impact Resistance	30 times that of ordinary glass; 2-20 times that of tempered glass	Best impact resistance (250-300 times that of ordinary glass)	More brittle than both acrylic and PC
Flame Resistance	Generally flammable; flame-retardant versions are available	Difficult to ignite, self-extinguishing	Best flame resistance (UL94 V-0 grade)
Cutting Tolerance	±0.3mm for lengths and widths <1000mm; ±0.5mm for lengths and widths >1000mm	N/A	N/A
Price per kg	Higher than PVC, lower than PC	Highest	Lowest

Ⅲ. Physical and Chemical Properties

1. Acrylic sheet (PMMA)

Properties		Unit	Numerical
MECHANICA	SPECIFIC GRAVITY		1.19-1.2
	ROCKWELL HARDNESS	Kg/cm2	M-100
	SHEARSTRENGTH	Kg/cm2	630
	RUPTURE	Kg/cm2	1050
	TENSILESTRENGTH	Kg/cm2	760
	YIELD	Kg/cm2	1260
	IMPACTSTRENGTH	Cal/Gr°C	0.35
THERMAL	SPECIFICHEAT	Cal/xee/cm/°C/cm
	THERMALSEFORMATIONTEMP	℃	100
	MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS SERVICE TEMPERATURE	℃	85
	THERMALFORMINGTEMP	℃	140-180
	COEFFICIENTOFLINERTHERMALEXPANSION	Cm/cm/°C	6x10-5
OPTICAL	LIGHTTRANSMITTANCE	%	93
OPTICAL	REFRACTIVEINDEX		1.49
ELECTRICAL	DIELICTRICSTRENGTH	KV/mm	20
ELECTRICAL	SURFACERESISTIVETY	Ohm	≥1016
MISCELLANEOUS	WATER(24HRS)ABSORPTION	%	0.3
MISCELLANEOUS	BURNING RATE	IN/MIN	1.3

Chemical	Resistance	Chemical	Resistance	Chemical	Resistance	Chemical	Resistance	Chemical	Resistance
Concentrated hydrochloricacid	△	Methanol	△	Butanone	△	Chlorobenzene	X	Acetonitrile	x
Hydrochloricacid	O	Ethanol	△	Methylisobutylketone	x	Gasoline		Acrylonitrile	x
Concentrated hydrochloricacid	X	Isopropylalcohol	△	Cyclohexanone	X	Kerosene	0	Twohaveamine	0
Sulfuricacid	0	Butanol	△	Ethylormate	X	Turpentine	0	Dimethylformami	X
Concentratednitricacid	X	Denaturedalcohol	△	Ethylacetate	X	Solventnaphtha	0	Aniline	X
Aceticacid	0	Benzenecarbonicacid	X	Ethylacetate	x	Mineral oil	0	Saltwater	O
Glacialaceticacid	X	Formaldehyde	0	Propylacetate	X	Olive oil	0	Sea	0
Aceticacid	0	Acetaldehyde	X	Butylacetate	X	Transformer oil	0	Soapywater	O
Formicacid	X	Benzenecarbonicacid	△	Dibutylphthalate	0	Cotton oil	0	Peroxide	0
Phenol	X	Meathyletheri	△	Dioctylphthalate	0	urfuran	X	Citric acid	0
sodiumhydroxide	0	Ether	△	Methylmethacrylate	X	Furfuralalalcchol	X	Detergent	0
Aquaammonia	0	Isopropyl	X	Benzene	X	Furfuryalalcchol	x	Lacquer thinner	X
Ethane	0	Propylenechloride	△	oluene	X	Tetrahydrofuran	x
Heptane	0	Dioxane	X	Xylene	X	Nitromethane	X
Octane	0	Fibrsolvent	△	Chloroform	X	Nitroethane	X
Medicinalkane	0	Acetone	X	Carbontetrachloride	△	Nitrobenzene	x
Note: O-No corrosion X-No resistance (short-term or rapid corrosion will cause product damage) △-Limited resistance (if corrosion continues, it will cause product damage)

2. Polycarbonate Sheet (PC)

Properties		Unit	Numerical
MECHANICA	SPECIFIC GRAVITY	-	1.2
	ROCKWELL HARDNESS	Kg/cm2	M-77
	FLEXURAL STRENGTH	Kg/cm2	1000
	IMPACT STRENGTH	J/m	850
	TENSILES TRENGTH	Kg/cm2	>600
	MODULUS OF ELASTICITY	MPa	2400
	TENSILE STRESS AT BREAK	MPa	>65
	ELONGATION AT BREAK	%	100%
THERMAL	SPECIFIC HEAT	KJ/Kg	1.17
	THERMAL SEFORMATION TEMP	℃	140
	SERVICE TEMPERATURE	℃	-40~+120
	HEAT CONDUCTIVITY	W/m2°C	2.3~3.9
	COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION	Mm/mC	0.065
OPTICAL	LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE	%	88
MISCELLA NE OUS	EFFECT OF SOUNDPROOF	dB	-20
MISCELLA NE OUS	WATER(24HRS) ABSORPTION	%	0.2
Note: 6.0mm PC board test data

Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability
Acetaldehyde	X	Ammonium sulfide	X	Blood and plasma	O	Carbon disulfide	X	Cod liver oil	O
Acetic acid (10%)	O	Amyl acetate	X	Borax	O	Carbon monoxide	O	Coffee	△
Acetic acid (conc.)	△	Pentanol	△	Boric acid	O	Carbon tetrachloride	X	Cooking oil	O
Acetone	X	Aniline	X	Brake fluid	X	Castor oil	O	Copper sulfate (sat.)	O
Acetylene	O	Antimony trichloride (sat.)	O	Bromine	X	Tomato sauce	O	Cresol	X
Acrylonitrile	X	Aqua regia (HCl₂SO₄=3:1)	△	Bromobenzene	X	Potassium hydroxide	X	Copper chloride (sat.)	O
Allspice powder	X	Arsenic acid (20%)	O	Butane	O	Sodium hydroxide	X	Cuprous chloride (sat.)	O
Allyl alcohol	△	Car wax	△	Butter	O	Chlorine (dry)	△	Cyclohexylamine	O
Aluminum ammonium sulfate	O	Baby lotion	O	Butyl acetate	X	Chlorine (moist)	X	Cyclohexanol	△
Aluminum oxide (sat.)	O	Animal fat	O	Butanol	O	Chlorobenzene	X	Cyclohexanone	X
Aluminum oxalate	O	Barium chloride	O	Butylene glycol	O	Chloroform	X	Naphthene	O
Aluminum sulfate (sat.)	O	Battery electrolyte	O	Butyric acid	X	Chocolate	O	Cleaner	△ or O
Ammonia gas	X	Beer	O	Calcium chloride (sat.)	O	Alum (sat.)	O	Naphtha	X
Ammonium hydroxide	X	Beet soup	O	Calcium hypochlorite	O	Chromium trioxide (20%)	O	Kerosene	△
Ammonium carbonate	△	Benzaldehyde	X	Calcium nitrate	O	Cinnamon	O	Gasoline	△
Ammonium chloride	O	Benzene	X	Calcium soap fat	O	Citric acid (10%)	O	Paint	X
Ammonium fluoride	X	Benzoic acid	X	Camphor oil	X	Clove	X
Ammonium hydroxide	X	Benzyl alcohol	X	Carbolic acid	X	Coal gas	O
Ammonium nitrate	O	Betadine	O	Carbon sulfite	X	Coca-Cola	△
Ammonium sulfate (sat.)	O	Bleach (sodium hypochlorite)	O	Carbon dioxide (moist)	O	Cocoa drink	△
Notes: O – Non-corrosive X – Non-resistant (damage occurs in a short time or due to rapid corrosion) △ – Limited resistance (prolonged corrosion can lead to product damage)

3. Polyvinyl chloride sheet (PVC)

Properties		Unit	Numerical
MECHANICA	SPECIFIC GRAVITY		1.45
	ROCKWELL HARDNESS	Kg/cm2	82
	FLEXURAL STRENGTH	Kg/cm2	765
	TENSILES TRENGTH	Kg/cm2	612
	MODULUS OF ELASTICITY	MPa	3000
	TENSILE STRESS AT BREAK	MPa	90
	ELONGATION AT BREAK	%
THERMAL	THERMAL SEFORMATION TEMP	℃	98
	TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE (CONTINUOUS)	℃	60
	TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE (SHORT TIME)	℃	65
	MELTING POINT	℃	120
OPTICAL	LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE	%	80
MISCELLANEOUS	STATIC FRICTION COEFFICIENT		0.5
MISCELLANEOUS	WATER(24HRS) ABSORPTION	%	0.12
Note: PVC transparent board test data

Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability	Chemical Name	Suitability
Sulfuric acid (10%)	O	Chlorinated solvents	X	Benzaldehyde	X	Diacetone alcohol	X	Turbine oil	△
Sulfuric acid (70%)	X	Sodium chloride	△	Xylene	X	Dimethylformamide	O	Brake oil	△
Hydrochloric acid (10%)	△	Calcium chloride	△	Dibutyl phthalate	O	Dioxane	X	Fuel oil	O
Acetic acid (50%)	O	Barium chloride	△	Acetylene	O	Ethyl acrylate	O	Petroleum	△
Nitric acid (30%)	△	Aluminum chloride	△	Propane	△	Ethyl cellulose	O	Lubricating oil	△
Nitric acid (60%)	X	Copper chloride	△	Butane	O	Ethylene dichloride	△	Mineral oil	△
Carbonic acid	△	Mercuric chloride	O	Hexane	X	Phosphorus chloride	X	Kerosene	X
Oxalic acid	X	Ammonium chloride	△	Hexanal	X	Potassium cyanide	△	Turpentine	△
Sodium hydroxide	X	Liquid ammonia	X	Acetone	X	Silicone oil	X	Tar	X
Calcium hydroxide	X	Ammonium hydroxide	X	Propylene	X	Silicon tetrachloride	O	Oleic acid	△
Potassium hydroxide	△	Ammonia gas	X	Cyclohexanone	△	Air	O	Water-lubricant emulsion	△
Barium hydroxide	△	Ammonium nitrate	△	Cyclohexanol	△	Hydrogen	△	Bleach	O
Methanol	X	Ammonium nitrite	O	Acetamide	O	Helium	△	Salad oil	△
Ethanol	△	Ammonium phosphate	△	Aluminum bromide	O	Liquefied petroleum gas	O	Beer	△
Propanol	O	Mercury	△	Arsenic acid	O	Steam	X	Citric acid	O
Butanol	X	Benzene	X	Butyl acetate	O	Hydrogen peroxide (30%)	O	Vegetable oil	△
Chlorine	△	Phenol	△	Calcium bisulfite	X	Sodium peroxide	△	Fatty acid	△
Liquid chlorine	X	Benzene ring	△	Acetate solvent	X	Gasoline	X	Milk	O
Chloroform	X	Aniline	X	Dibutyl ether	X	Light gasoline	△	Soap solution	O
Notes: O – Fully suitable X – Not suitable △ – Conditionally suitable (suitable under specific conditions)

Ⅳ. Installation Methods of Profile Plate

1. Angle code fixation
The plate needs to be punched, and the hole position needs to correspond to the screw hole of the extruded angle seat, and then installed in one piece, which is simple and convenient.

2. Flat fixation
The plate needs to be punched, installed with the profile T-nut, and laid flat on the profile frame, which is easy to install and beautiful in appearance.

3. Panel pressure strip (U-shaped groove strip) fixation
The plate does not need additional processing. First place the plate in the slot, and then install and fix it with the corresponding pressure strip. It is easy to install, the plate can be removable, and there is a range requirement for the thickness of the plate (depending on the pressure strip model 3~5mm)

4. Glass glue fixation
The plate does not need additional processing. Directly place the plate in the aluminum profile slot, and then apply glass glue to fix it. The installation is stable and cannot be removed.

5. Interval fixing block fixation
The plate needs to be punched, and the installation method is similar to the angle code fixation. The plate fixing hole position can be customized.
For detailed installation instructions, see: Profile plate fixing method example (yhdfa.com)

V. Antistatic Plate

Antistatic plate requirements:

The surface resistance of our antistatic plate is 105~108 Ω;

● Antistatic performance is not easily affected by humidity and temperature, and is resistant to salt spray;
● Beautiful appearance, excellent light transmittance, UV resistance, and low gas volatility;
● Excellent surface hardness and resistance to chemical solvent erosion, and can withstand alcohol and other wipes;
● Excellent coating durability, high mechanical strength, and excellent processing performance;
● Does not damage the physical properties of the substrate (acrylic, PC, PVC).

Precautions for use:

● Antistatic sheets should not be placed in a high temperature environment for a long time, which will cause the antistatic effect to deteriorate;
● The board surface is prohibited from contacting strong acids, strong alkalis and corrosive organic solvents;
● When processing antistatic sheets, be careful not to scratch or bump the surface of the sheet to avoid damaging the surface coating and causing the sheet to lose its antistatic effect;
● Antistatic sheets cannot be hot-bent, which will affect the antistatic effect;
● When bonding antistatic sheets, the surface to be bonded should be ground off by about 0.5mm in advance, and then bonded with special glue. At present, our company's antistatic sheet products: antistatic acrylic sheet, antistatic PC sheet, antistatic PVC sheet.
Antistatic treatment method: All are surface treatment, spray antistatic agent on the surface of the sheet.

Storage and handling matters:

●Store the board at room temperature and in a ventilated and dry environment. Do not expose the board directly to sunlight, heat sources or humidity;
●Do not remove the protective film before using the board, because daily dust and dirt will adhere to the surface of the board due to static electricity, and the protective film also protects the board from wear and scratches;
●Avoid warping. The board should be stored naturally and flat. If it needs to be stored vertically, it is best to store the board at a small angle and place a support underneath.

Find your suitable engineering plastic sheets for your project today! Contact us for expert advice and customized solutions.