Chemical Properties of Acrylic70
Chemical Properties of Acrylic70
Acrylic which is medically graded can be supplied for complex, thin-wall applications in which maximum optical clarity is required as it offers excellent injection molding flow properties with a strong tensile strength. Surface hardness provided by acrylic for scratch resistance is great which an important quality in medical applications is. As acrylic is a rigid material, standard grades do not provide high impact resistance. Thus impact-modified grades are softer and less rigid than standard formulations which are specified for applications that typically require increased toughness. But acrylic is not recommended for applications that demand very high impact resistance or those that put surfaces under high pressure. Acrylic also has capability of performing well in electrical applications, due to its insulating nature and an increase in absorbed moisture makes it more conductive. Acrylic becomes more flexible and exhibits less flexural strength when the temperature increases. In case of sustained loading, strain on the material can induce excessive molecular movement that increases with time under load and higher temperatures and results in the phenomenon known as creep that is common to all thermoplastics. Chemical properties of acrylic suggest that acrylic is resistant to a wide range of chemicals including salts, bases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, fats and oils, most common gases and inorganic chemicals, dilute mineral and organic acids, and dilute and concentrated solutions of most alkalis. Strong acids, chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons, ketenes, alcohols, ethers, and esters attack acrylic.
Also the chemicals and other materials to which a molded part will be exposed should be carefully considered before selecting any thermoplastic. Isopropyl alcohol attacks acrylic as it tends to promote crazing in acrylic, as it does in many transparent plastics. Many acrylic grades are more alcohol-resistant than others. As we know resistance is typically a function of the molecular weight of the polymer. Thus higher molecular weight provides better alcohol resistance. Isopropyl alcohol solution when diluted can be used to wipe down acrylic without adverse reaction. These Acrylic copolymers, particularly those with styrene, offer improved chemical resistance but do not transmit light as well as 100% PMMA. The sterilization technologies for acrylic are E-beam or gamma irradiation or dry ethylene oxide gas. The Gamma sterilization has a tendency to discolor (yellow) most acrylics. But this yellowing is temporary and recovery can be complete, with the parts retaining their original integrity. With the increase of radiation dosage, the greater is the yellowing and the longer is the required recovery time. Till the time when rapid gamma recovery formulations were introduced, acrylic took as long as sixty days to recover from the effects of gamma irradiation. But now this time has been cut to a week for some grades of acrylic. Methods which are not recommended for acrylic are wet ethylene oxide and steam sterilization methods.
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