What are the weather resistance and impact resistance of acrylic sheets and what are the differences
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What are the weather resistance and impact resistance of acrylic sheets, and what are the differences
In the selection process of acrylic sheets, "weather resistance" and "impact resistance" are two performance indicators often mentioned side by side. Many buyers think they are the same thing - in fact, they are not.
The weather resistance answers the question of 'how long can the board last outdoors'; The anti impact performance answers the question of whether the board will break if it is hit. Although both determine the durability of the board, their principles, influencing factors, and methods of improvement are completely different. Only by understanding the difference between these two performance indicators can we truly achieve precise material selection. This article will systematically sort out the essential differences between the weather resistance and impact resistance of acrylic sheets from three dimensions: performance interpretation, process differences, and application selection.
The essence and selection of weather resistance
The essence of weather resistance is the ability of materials to resist natural environmental erosion. For acrylic, the biggest threat comes from ultraviolet radiation - ultraviolet radiation can cut off the molecular chains of acrylic, leading to yellowing, brittleness, and decreased performance.
Choose acrylic sheets with good weather resistance and pay attention to the following three points:
Raw material grade: Pure new material casting board for outdoor use for 5-10 years without yellowing; Recycled sheet will turn yellow within six months
Anti UV additives: Adding sufficient UV absorbers is key
Production process: Cast board has better weather resistance than extruded board
The essence and selection of impact resistance performance
The essence of impact resistance is the ability of a material to absorb impact energy. The molecular chains of acrylic are long and flexible, and when impacted, they can slide and stretch, dispersing the impact energy over a large area.
Choose acrylic sheets with good impact resistance and pay attention to the following three points:
Molecular weight: The cast plate has a high molecular weight (>1 million g/mol) and better impact resistance
Thickness: For every 1mm increase in thickness, the impact resistance significantly improves
Modification treatment: The impact resistance of impact modified acrylic sheets can be improved several times
1. Essentially Different: Chemistry vs Physics
Weather resistance is a chemical stability issue - UV radiation causes molecular chain breakage, generating chromophores that lead to yellowing
Impact resistance is a physical mechanics problem - molecular chains absorb impact energy through sliding and stretching
2. Different influencing factors
Factors affecting weather resistance and impact resistance
Long term exposure to UV core influencing factors can lead to a decline in performance
The decisive factor of raw material purity is an important factor
Key factors of molecular weight importance
Production process: Casting board is superior to extrusion board. Casting board is superior to extrusion board
The influence of thickness is relatively small and significant
Additive UV absorber is the core, impact modifier is the core
3. Different aging manifestations
Poor weather resistance: yellowing, fading, surface loss of gloss, powdering
Performance of poor impact resistance: cracking, crushing, brittle fracture when impacted by external forces
4. Different detection methods
Weather resistance testing: QUV accelerated aging test, detecting color change rate (Δ E value), yellowing index (YI), and 60 ° glossiness retention rate
Impact resistance testing: Tested by a simply supported beam impact testing machine, with an impact strength of ≥ 15kJ/m ²
5. There is a correlation between the two
The two are not completely independent - after long-term exposure outdoors, the impact strength retention rate and tensile strength retention rate of boards with poor weather resistance will decrease. High impact modified acrylic sheets require simultaneous testing of impact strength attenuation and weathering crack tendency.
Q1: Which is more important, weather resistance or impact resistance?
There is no absolute 'more important', the key depends on the usage scenario:
Outdoor billboards, lightboxes, and building lighting: prioritizing weather resistance - yellowing and brittleness directly affect service life and aesthetics
Safety protective covers, public facilities, and children's spaces: prioritizing impact resistance - safety is the first consideration
Outdoor protective facilities: Both are equally important - they must be weather resistant and impact resistant
Q2: What are the differences in weather resistance and impact resistance between cast and extruded boards?
Comparison Dimension Casting Plate Extrusion Plate
Weathering resistance with added UV absorbers, 5-10 years without yellowing. Most do not have UV protection function
Impact resistance ≥ 15-17 kJ/m ², low molecular weight and high molecular weight, slightly weaker mechanical properties
The only option for outdoor applicability is not recommended for outdoor use
Q3: How to quickly determine the weather resistance of an acrylic sheet?
It can be judged from the following aspects:
View cross-section: Pure new material cross-section is transparent and colorless; Yellow cross-section of recycled materials
Check the label: Is it clearly labeled as "UV resistant" or "UV coating"
Smell cutting odor: pure new material cutting without irritating odor; Recycled material cutting has a pungent odor
Request report: Request the manufacturer to provide QUV accelerated aging test data
Q4: How long will the performance of acrylic sheets begin to decline when used outdoors?
The differences between different materials are huge:
Pure new material+UV resistant casting board: 5-10 years without yellowing and stable performance
Ordinary acrylic board (without UV resistance): obvious yellowing starts after about 3 years
Recycled material board: obvious yellowing and fading within six months
Q5: How to improve the impact resistance of acrylic sheets?
There are several ways to achieve this:
Choose casting board: high molecular weight, better impact resistance than extruded board
Choose impact modified board: With an impact modifier content of 10-20%, the impact resistance can be improved several times
Increasing thickness: With an increase in thickness, the impact resistance is significantly improved
Avoid low temperature use: toughness decreases below -20 ℃
| product type | pet、ps、acrylic、acrylic mirror、pvc sheet,acrylic sheet |
| thickness | 0.35-300mm |
| Styles | 1220*2440,1220*1830,500*900,50*60,960*1950,700*900/Customization of various specifications and sizes |
| delivery time | 5-8day |
| manufacture | Yifang |
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