Mea Isa1

MATERIAL
EFFICIENT
ARCHITECTURE
UA21FA232BA2
NIDHI M
PES1UG21BA014
SEMESTER IV
WHAT IS IS ACRYLIC
ACRLYIC RESISTENT
PLASTIC ? TO UV RAYS?
(PMMA) acrylic sheet is a great choice when it
comes to protecting against UV rays.
This sheet can block harsh and harmful
• Polymers are long chains of UV rays to an extent. Meanwhile, it
molecules (mostly carbon) performs light transmission better
bonded to each other. Most of compared to glass and plastic materials.
the materials that are called That's why these sheets are widely used in
plastics are polymers. windows and skylights. Even thin sheets
• Plastic is a specific type of of around 5mm won't let in UV rays into
polymer that can change its your home or office.
shape. Plastics are made from
petroleum.
•Many things around us are
made of plastics. For example:
Polythene, toys, bags, chairs,
table, boxes etc. There are some
well-known plastics around us.
They are polypropylene (chair,
tables etc), polystyrene (plastic
spoons & forks, cups etc),
polyamide (usually known as
nylon) used in toothbrushes,
car-parts etc.
• Polythene is a very commonly
used plastic, mostly in the form
of carry bags.
ARCHITECTURE AND
LIFE SPAN CONSTRUCTION
The lifespan of an acrylic sheet is Thanks to its excellent impact and
better compared to glass and other UV resistance, PMM is widely used in
materials. It holds better strength window and door profiles, canopies,
and is also impact resistant. This panels, façade design, etc. It also
makes it a durable material than facilitates light transmission and
other alternatives. It is around 15 to provides good heat insulation, hence
20 times stronger than glass. Hence, a suitable choice of building green
has a longer lifespan. houses. PMMA is also used to build
aquariums and marine centers.
LIFE CYCLE
OF ACRYLIC
PLASTIC
PROS CONS
UV-resistant: Low quality
As it is flexible and easily moulded into any Perspex sheets melt at high temperatures or
shape, acrylic is perfect for creating various from exposure to direct flames. The melting
products. They are an ideal product to use point for acrylic plastic is 160 degrees C, so
outdoors as they are heat resistant up to 160 they cannot withstand extreme temperatures.
degrees C. Acrylic is tough and durable, but can also be
easily scratched.
Reusable
Many restaurants prefer to use acrylic Toxicity
crockery and glassware as it is durable, The manufacturing process of acrylic products
shatterproof and easy to clean. can release highly toxic fumes. Anyone who
works to make acrylic sheet is provided with
Eco-friendly protective equipment and clothing. There is
As it is synthetic, acrylic (i.e. Perspex) is easy to also a risk that the acrylic could blow up
reuse. Due to the many ways you can make during polymerisation if you don’t take the
acrylic sheets into other things (plates, right precautions.
acrylic table tops, secondary glazing or
shelves) it’s an eco-friendly choice. Difficulties in recycling
Acrylic is recyclable, however, as it’s not bio-
Offers a wide variety of colours degradable the process is not as easy as putting
Acrylic sheets are available in an extensive it in your recycle bin or taking it to a bottle
range of colours and designs. Depending on bank. But you can re-use acrylic (e.g. Perspex), by
what you are using the material for, you can cutting larger sheets into small pieces and
choose coloured sheets or you can opt for forming them into other products.
clear, acrylic sheets. These sheets are available
in various styles, including frosted acrylic,
fluorescent acrylic and mirror acrylic.
Dishwasher safe
Dishes and glassware made from Perspex sheets
has been designed to hold up against the heat
of a commercially manufactured dishwasher.
Cost-effective
Synthetically manufactured, glass look
acrylic is cheaper to produce and purchase,
therefore they are a great alternative to glass.
THE
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS
The material’s widespread use in
unsurprising considering its many
qualities: it is versatile, durable,
flexible, light, robust, doesn’t lose
colour, and has good optical
qualities as well as a low cost. On
the other hand, however, acrylic
sheets have a significant
environmental impact. The
production of 1kg of PMMA
requires approximately 2kg of oil
and releases 5.5kg of CO2 into the
ecosystem. In addition to the fossil
materials used to produce
plexiglass, sunlight hitting the
sheets releases carbon dioxide
particles into the atmosphere.
Because of this, for many years
scientists have been highlighting
the need to reduce the use of
acrylic sheets as much as possible,
and to optimise the production
process, reducing energy use
during processing. Furthermore,
although acrylic sheets are
theoretically recyclable, the
recycling process is not simple, and
this has often led to acrylic waste
being released into the
environment, with significant
impacts on flora and fauna.

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